i     BOOK  CARD 

S        P'ease  keep  this  card  fn 
Library  S  ^^^^  Pocket 

University  of  P  ^ 

Endowed  by  the  D:  « 

thropic  ^  s 
s 


3 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINA 
AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 
DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 
SOCIETIES 


HSU25 
l850b 


This  book  is  due  at  the  LOUIS  R.  WILSON  LIBRARY  on  the 
last  date  stamped  under  "Date  Due."  If  not  on  hold  it  may  be 
renewed  by  bringing  it  to  the  library. 

DATE 
DUE 

MAY  a 

y  zuui 

APR1720C 

— SEP  3  n 

AUG 

►4^^  

fotn)  No.  5  /  i 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/analogyofancientOOscot 


TESTIMONIALS 


FROM  DISTINGUISHED  MASONS. 


From  Hon.  A.  Hutchinson,  P.  D.  Gr.  H.  P. 

Jackson,  Oct.  20,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Grand  Master,  &c. 

M.  W.  Brother  : — I  am  obliged  to  you  for  submitting  to  my 
examination  "  The  Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to 
Natural  and  Revealed  Religion." 

To  the  general  reader,  it  will  be  a  rich  treat  and  instructive 
monitor;  to  the  craft,  a  pearl  of  great  price;  to  yourself,  a 
lasting  memorial  of  the  purity  of  taste,  fervour  of  fancy,  force  of 
demonstration,  and  ardour  of  philanthropy  that  glow  and  burn 
in  every  period.  It  will  indeed  be  a  guide  to  thousands  of 
bewildered  wanderers,  by  opening,  through  the  lights  of  the 
sacred  oracles  and  testimonies  of  nature,  the  seals  of  many 
precious  symbols  and  types. 

During  twenty  years  I  have  had  inclination  and  opportunity 
of  acquiring  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  rites,  lectures,  and 
lore  of  all  the  degrees  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry,  constituting 
the  landmarks  and  occult  science,  as  distinguishable  from  what 
is  monitorial  and  public,  and  can  freely  state  that  your  Analogy, 
whilst  it  enriches  the  external  illustrations  of  the  order,  does 
aot  in  any  instance  encroach  upon  its  cabala.  Of  this  the  fra- 
ternity may  be  assured. 

Some  years  since  I  was  struck  with  the  originality  of  your 


1 


2 


TESTIMONIALS. 


views  concerning  the  Number  Three,  and  can  never  forget  the 
thrilling  discourse  you  pronounced  upon  it  in  Brown  Lodge. 
You  could  justly  claim  those  views  as  your  own  before  Dr.  Oli- 
ver's treatise  had  passed  over  from  London ;  besides,  his  obser- 
vations on  the  Triad  are  different,  and  not  in  coincidence. 

I  anticipate  with  gladness  the  moral  effect  which  your  work 
is  destined  to  produce.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a  work  of  the 
proper  material,  and  duly  shaped  and  polished,  to  be  received 
for  the  Spiritual  Building  of  the  Supreme  Architect. 

A.  Hutchinson. 


From  Hon.  W.  L.  Shakkey,  LL.D.,  Chief  Justice  of  the  High 
Court  of  Errors  and  Appeals,  of  State  of  Miss. 

Jackson,  Sept.  10,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir : — I  have  read  with  great  care  and  equal  interest 
the  manuscript  of  the  first  ten  lectures  of  your  work  on  the 
"  Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to  Natural  and  Revealed 
Religion.''  I  regard  it  as  a  work  of  great  research  and  pro- 
found thought,  as  I  think  all  must,  who  will  read  it.  To  the 
fraternity  it  is  worthy  of  special  commendation.  Every  Mason 
should  read  and  study  it.  They  will  derive  great  improvement 
from  it,  and  appreciate  more  highly  our  ancient  Order,  the 
moral  beauties  of  which  are  made  apparent.  To  the  general 
reader,  also,  it  will  be  found  to  be  deeply  interesting  and  in- 
structive. No  one  can  read  it  carefully  without  forming  a  high 
estimate  of  Masonry.  I  promise  myself  great  pleasure  from 
perusing  the  succeeding  numbers,  and  trust  that  you  may  be 
amply  compensated  for  the  great  labour  you  have  bestowed  on 
the  work. 

Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

William  L.  Sharkey. 


TESTIMONIALS. 


3 


From  His  Excellency,  The  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi. 

Jackson,  Sept.  15,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  G.  M. 

^  Dear  Sir : — I  have  examined  hastily  the  manuscript  of  your 
"Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to  Natural  and  Revealed 
Religion,"  and  believe  that  its  publication  will  be  a  valuable 
acquisition  to  the  stock  of  Masonic  literature.  I  have  seen 
nothing  better  calculated  to  interest  and  improve  the  inquiring 
Craftsman. 

Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

J.  W.  Matthews. 


From  Charles  Oilman,  G.  G.  R.  G.  G.  E.  U.  S. 

Baltimore,  December  18,  1848. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — I  have  been  allowed  the  very  great 
pleasure  of  perusing,  in  manuscript,  "The  Analogy  of  Ancient 
Craft  Masonry  to  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,"  and  I  rise 
from  that  perusal  with  no  ordinary  feeling  of  satisfaction. 

It  has  been  matter  of  regret  with  the  better  informed,  that 
the  great  mass  of  the  fraternity  content  themselves  with  a 
superficial  knowledge  of  the  forms  and  ceremonies  of  the  Craft, 
without  further  examination  into  the  arcana  of  its  ritual,  and 
emblematical,  moral  signification.  But  I  am  very  confident  no 
one  can  follow  you  through  your  just  and  beautiful  Analogy, 
without  discovering  that,  heretofore,  he  has  been  too  unmindful 
of  the  more  important  teachings  of  the  science  of  Free  Masonry, 
and  without  feeling  a  resolution  that  henceforth  he  will  en- 
deavour to  be  a  better  Mason  and  a  better  Christian. 

I  am  fraternally  yours, 

Charles  Gilman. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq., 

M.  W.  Grand  Master  of  the  G.  Lodge  of  Miss. 


4 


,  TESTIMONIALS. 


From  Rev.  C  K.  Marshall,  Gr.      of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

•       '  '  Vickshirg,  Oct.  19,  1848. 

Respected  Sir : — I  seize  this  opportunity  to  offer  you  my 
thanks  for  the  pleasure  I  have  received,  and  the  information  I 
have  gained,  from  the  examination  of  your  manuscript  work  on 
the  Science  of  Free  Masonry. 

From  the  examination  I  have  bestowed  upon  the  work,  I  am 
so  favourably  impressed  with  your  method  of  presenting  and 
illustrating  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Great  Brotherhood, 
that  I  am  very  anxious  to  see  it  in  print,  and  placed  within  the 
reach  of  the  thousands  who  are  inquiring  for  "  Light"  on  the 
various  topics  you  have  so  ably  discussed. 

I  think  your  method  of  investigation  eminently  calculated  to 
quicken  the  spirit  of  research,  prompt  to  the  pursuit  of  greater 
Masonic  attainments,  and  excite  a  thirst  for  a  knowledge  of  the 
varied,  profound,  and  ennobling  truths  which  constitute  the 
strength,  beauty,  and  efficiency  of  our  ancient  Fraternity, 

Emanating  from  .the  South — at  a  period  when  some  exposi- 
tory work  seems  evidently  called  for — and  from  the  eloquent 
and  instructive  pen  of  one  of  the  most  gifted  and  honoured 
members  of  the  Fraternity,  it  cannot  fail  to  meet  with  a  hearty 
reception  and  an  extensive  circulation.  Nor  can  it  fail  to  exert 
a  highly  salutary  influence  on  all  candid  minds.  Few  persons, 
unacquainted  with  the  peculiar  frame-work  of  Masonry,  have 
any  idea  of  the  depth  and  richness  of  the  knowledge  to  be 
found  within  its  sacred  enclosures.  Consequently,  multitudes 
hastily  conclude  that  the  time  spent  in  attendance  at  the  Lodges 
is  thrown  away  in  idleness  or  folly.  Can  such  persons  cherish 
their  erroneous  ideas  of  the  toils  and  studies  of  Masons,  after 
glancing  over  your  pages,  and  considering  the  numerous  subjects 
and  instructive  fields  of  information  that  must  necessarily  en- 
gage their  minds  and  employ  their  time  ?    Can  any  deem  it 


TESTIMONIALS.  5 


folly  to  study  the  sublime  doctrines  taught  in  the  olden  time  by ' 
the  virtuous  and  the  great;  or  call  it  idle  to  walk  in  their 
shining  footsteps  ?    I  think  not. 

But  even  here,  in  your  interesting  pages,  the  most  eagle-eyed 
can  see  but  "as  through  a  glass  darkly,"  unless  they  have  been 
brought  to  light;  and  yet  enough,  I  think,  is  exhibited,  to  place 
Free  Masonry  in  its  proper  light,  and  teach  the  inquirer  after 
truth  many  valuable  lessons. 

With  sentiments  of  sincere  esteem, 
I  am  truly  yours, 

C.  K.  Marshall. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  M.W.  G.M. 


From  the  Hon.  James  Rucks,  formerly  of  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Washington  Co.,  Miss.,  Oct.  21,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir : — From  the  examination  which  I  have  been  able 
to  give  your  manuscript  on  Masonry,  I  think  it  ought  to  be 
published.  Your  object,  to  vindicate  the  purity, of  this  ancient 
Order,  and  to  set  forth  the  noble  ends  which  the  founders  of 
speculative  Masonry  had  in  view,  deserves  all  commendation 
and  all  patronage.  The  lectures  will  be  found  to  contain  infor- 
mation highly  useful  to  all,  but  more  especially  to  those  who 
have  been  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  our  Order. 

Very  truly  yours,  &c., 

James  Rucks. 


51 


TESTIMONIALS. 


From  Rev.  A.  B.  Lawrence,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Jackson,  Sept.  23,  1848, 
Brother  Scott, — Having  read  a  small  portion  of  your  new 
work  upon  the  "Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to  Natural 
and  Revealed  Religion,"  and  understanding,  as  I  trust,  at  once 
your  design  and  the  plan  of  the  work,  I  am  free  to  express  my 
cordial  approbation  of  your  enterprise.  It  appears  to  me  at 
once  a  just  and  worthy  vindication  of  our  ancient  and  honour- 
able Order,  and  a  happy  exemplification  of  much  of  the  excel- 
lence of  true  religion,  as  well  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
literature  of  our  day  and  country. 

A.  B.  Lawrence,  V.  D.  M. 


[The  writer  of  the  following  letter,  who  is  an  old  and  bright  Mason, 
has  not  examined  the  following  work  ;  but  being  well  acquainted  with 
the  sentiments  of  the  author,  has  been  kind  enough  to  volunteer  his 
offering.] 

Jackson,  Oct.  20,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq. 

M.  W.  G-rand  Master : — Having  understood  that  you  had 
prepared  a  work  on  the  nature  and  principles  of  our  ancient 
and  venerable  institution,  and  in  which  you  have  embodied 
some  of  the  views  which  I  have  heard  you  advance,  while  acting 
as  Master  of  Brown  Lodge,  with  great  pleasure  and  profit  to 
myself,  you  will  please  permit  me,  through  you,  to  congratulate 
the  Craft,  who  must  regard  the  publication  of  your  work  as  a 
very  valuable  acquisition  to  the  literature  of  our  age  and  country. 

Tours  fraternally, 

Wm.  Wing, 

P.  G.E.  C.  of  Jackson  Encampment. 


TESTIMONIALS.  7 


From  Hon.  George  T.  Swan,  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  of 
the  State  of  Miss. 

Jackson,  Sept.  21,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  M.  W.  G.  M. 

Dear  Sir : — The  Analogies  you  trace  in  your  work  on  Ma- 
sonry are  so  clear  to  the  informed  Mason,  that  he  is  compelled 
to  see  how  evidently  the  hand  of  Grod  has  been  in  the  perpetua- 
tion of  our  Order,  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  instrumentalities 
in  His  hands,  of  spreading  the  knowledge  of  the  truths  which 
alone  can  make  us  "wise  unto  salvation."  It  reveals  to  us  the 
most  exalted  motives,  by  pure  and  consistent  lives,  to  extend 
our  light  to  the  darkened  mind  of  ignorance,  and,  in  the  con- 
templation of  Masonry,  as  the  handmaiden  and  sister  of  Chris- 
tianity, to  the  most  fervent  prayers  for  its  purity  and  success. 

A  work  undertaken  with  such  views,  and  clothed  in  the 
attractive  style  in  which  you  have  executed  it,  cannot  fail,  I 
think,  to  gratify  the  intellectual  taste  and  improve  the  lives  of 
Masons,  and  to  remove  from  the  minds  of  many  sincere  Chris- 
tians objections  to  our  Order,  growing  out  of  misconceptions  of 
its  true  origin  and  design. 

That  you  may  be  eminently  successful,  is  the  sincere  wish  of 

Your  friend  and  brother, 

Geo.  T  Swan. 


TESTIMONIALS. 


From  Lodges  and  Chapters  of  the  State  of  Mississippi. 

Jackson,  Oct.  6,  1848. 

Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  M.  W.  Grand  Master. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — The  enclosed  preamble  and  resolu- 
tion were  unanimously  adopted  at  a  joint  communication  of 
Pearl  and  Silas  Brown  Lodges  of  Free  Masonry,  held  in  this 
city  on  the  3d  instant. 

Permit  us  to  assure  you  that  we  are  of  opinion  that  your 
work  entitled  "The  Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to 
Natural  and  Revealed  Religion/^  is  eminently  calculated  to  be 
productive  of  great  good,  by  enlightening  the  Fraternity,  and 
vindicating  the  character  of  our  ancient  Order.  A  work  of  the 
kind  has  been  much  wanted,  and  we  feel  highly  gratified  that 
it  has  been  performed  by  a  bright  and  experienced  craftsman. 
We  may  add,  that  we  have  listened  to  many  of  your  views 
while  you  presided,  with  distinguished  ability,  as  Master  of 
Silas  Brown  Lodge,  and  were  then  impressed  with  their  origi- 
nality and  truth. 

Fraternally  yours, 

D.  N.  Barrows, 

^     •  W.  Master  of  S.  Brown  Lodge,  No.  65. 

S.  P.  Baley, 

W.  Master  of  Pearl  Lodge,  No.  23. 


At  a  convocation  of  the  members  of  Pearl  and  Silas  Brown  Lodges, 
held  in  the  city  of  Jackson,  on  the  3d  day  of  October,  a.d.  1848, 
A.  L.  5848,  the  following  preamble  and  resolution  were  unanimously 
adopted : — 

Whereas,  these  lodges  have  understood  that  our  Most  Wor- 
shipful Grand  Master,  Charles  Scott,  has  been  for  some  time 
engaged  in  the  preparation  of  a  literary  and*  Masonic  work, 
which,  upon  a  representation  to  us  by  brethren  who  have 


TESTIMOI^IALS. 


9 


examined  the  manuscript,  is  well  calculated  to  enlighten  not 
only  the  Fraternity,  but  the  public  generally,  oa  this  interesting 
subject : 

Therefore  Resolved,  unanimously.  That  he  be,  and  is  hereby 
most  respectfully  requested  to  publish  the  same  j  and  we  hereby 
pledge  ourselves  individually  and  collectively,  for  public  and 
Masonic  benefit,  to  do  all  that  we  can  to  encourage  the  circula- 
tion of  the  work,  when  it  shall  have  been  published. 

(A  true  copy  from  the  Minutes,) 

D.  N.  Barrows, 

W.  Master  of  S.  Brown  Lodge,  No.  65. 

S.  p.  BAI.EY, 
W.  Master  of  Pearl  Lodge,  No.  23. 


Gallatin,  Miss.,  Dec.  14,  1848. 
At  a  regular  meeting  of  Gallatin  Lodge,  No.  25,  held  in  Gallatin  on  the 
19th  November,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted : — 

Whereas^  the  members  of  this  Lodge  have  been  informed, 
that  the  M.  W.  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State 
of  Mississippi,  Charles  Scott,  has  written  a  work,  setting 
forth  the  true  intent  and  spirit  of  Free  Masonry ;  and  whereas, 
the  Masonic  Fraternity  at  this  place  had  the  pleasure,  on  a  re- 
cent occasion,  of  hearing  an  oration  delivered  by  that  distin- 
guished brother,  which  was  such  as  to  inspire  them  with  the 
fullest  confidence  in  the  ability  of  Brother  Scott,  to  furnish 
the  Masonic  Community  with  a  work  entitled  to  their  highest 
*[  fegard,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  Brother  Charles  Scott  be,  and  he  is 
hereby  respectfully  and  earnestly  requested  to  have  his  work 
published. 

Resolved,  2.  That  in  the  event  of  its  being  published,  the 
members  of  this  Lodge  pledge  themselves  to  use  due  exertions 


10 


TESTIMONIALS. 


to  encourage  and  promote  the  object  of  its  publication  among 
their  Masonic  brethren  and  fellow-citizens  of  the  county. 

Resolved,  3.  That  the  Secretary  of  this  Lodge  be  requested 
to  forward  to  Brother  Scott  a  copy  of  the  above  preamble  and 
resolutions.  ,  ; 

(The  above  is  a  true  transcript  of  the  Minutes,) 

P.  B.  Massey,  Secretary. 


At  a  meeting  of  Coleman  Lodge,  No.  29,  held  at  Brandon,  October  ]4, 
1848,  present  the  Worshipful  Master,  Wardens,  and  Brethren.  On 
motion,  the  following  preamble  and  resolution  were  unanimously 
adopted,  viz.: — 

Whereas,  this  Lodge  has  been  informed  that  our  worthy 
Brother,  Charles  Scott,  the  Grand  Master  of  the  State,  has 
written  a  work  on  Masonry,  the  manuscript  of  which  has  been 
seen  and  read  by  Masons  who,  in  our  estimation^  are  competent 
to  judge  of  the  same,  and  which  we  understand  is  calculated  to 
honour  the  Fraternity,  and  enlighten  them  and  the  world,  re- 
specting the  interesting  subject  of  Masonry,  and  its  true  spirit: 

Therefore  Resolved,  1.  That  our  Brother,  Charles  Scott, 
be,  and  he  is  hereby  respectfully  requested  to  publish  his  work 
on  Masonry,  as  soon  as  it  can  be  conveniently  done,  and  that 
we  will  do  what  we  can  to  advance  the  circulation  of  the  same 
among  the  Fraternity  and  citizens  of  our  county. 

Resolved,  2.  That  our  brother  Secretary  furnish  a  copy  of 
the  foregoing,  and  that  Brother  S.  C.  Thornton  forward  the 
same  to  Brother  Charles  Scott. 

Drew  Fitzhugh, 

Secretary  of  Coleman  Lodge,  No.  29. 

I  certify  that  the  above  is  a  true  Copy  from  the  Minutes  of 
said  Lodge. 

Drew  Fitzhugh,  Sec. 


TESTIMONIALS.  11 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Jackson  Royal  Arch  Chapter  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masonry,  held  in  the  city  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  Oct.  4,  1848,  the  follow- 
ing preamble  and  resolution  were  unanimously  adopted : — 

Whereas,  it  has  been  represented  to  this  Chapter,  that  our 
companion  and  Most  Excellent  Deputy  Grand  High-Priest, 
Charles  Scott,  has  composed  a  work  entitled,  "  The  Analogy 
of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,'' 
which  will  be  instructive  to  the  Craft,  and  the  public  generally : 

Therefore  Resolved,  That  he  .be,  and  is  hereby  earnestly 
solicited  to  publish  said  work,  and  that  the  mepabers  of  this 
Chapter  do  recommend  the  circulation  of  the  same,  when  it 
shall  have  been  published. 

(A  true  copy  from  the  Minutes,) 
Attesty  David  Nye  Barrows,  Secretary. 


From  B.  B.  French,  Esq.,  Grand  Master  of  the  District  of 
Columbia;  Deputy  G.  H.  Priest  of  G.  Chapter  of  3Id.; 
Sigh  Priest  of  Columbia  Chapter;  G.  Commander  of 
Washington  Encampment. 

City  of  Washington,  March  13,  1849. 
Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  P.  G.  M.  of  the  State  of  Miss. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — The  proof-sheets  of  your  valuable 
work,  entitled,  "The  Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to 
Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,''  have  been  placed  in  my  hands 
by  Brother  Palmer,  and  I  have  devoted  all  the  time  I  could 
spare,  during  the  brief  period  of  his  sojourn  in  this  city,  to 
their  perusal. 

So  far  as  I  have  examined  your  publication  I  am  highly 
gratified,  and  I  shall  take  a  further  opportunity  to  give  it  a 
more  faithful  examination. 


12 


TESTIMONIALS. 


The  subject  upon  which  it  treats  is  one  dear  to  the  heart  of 
every  Christian  Mason,  who  can  feel  and  appreciate  the  intimate 
connection  between  our  interesting,  beautiful,  and  instructive 
ceremonies  and  principles,  and  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion. 

One  of  the  principal  arguments  which  I  have  been  called 
upon  to  answer,  during  my  long  connection  with  the  Masonic 
Institution,  (between  twenty  and  thirty  years,)  has  been  urged 
by  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  professors  of  the  Christian 
religion,  who  are  not  members  of  our  Craft,  viz.,  that  Masonry 
is  a  substitute  for  religion,  and  that  a  man,  by  becoming'  a 
Mason,  believes  that  he  thereby  insures  the  salvation  of  his 
soul,  and  that  there  is  no  necessity  of  seeking  any  farther  for 
"  the  pearl  of  great  price."  You  and  I  know  the  great  error 
of  this  argument,  and,  if  those  who  urge  it  will  take  the  trouble 
to  read  your  admirable  views  upon  this  subject,  they  cannot  fail 
to  be  convinced  of  their  own  error. 

I  sincerely  thank  you  for  giving  to  the  world,  in  so  creditable 
a  form,  your  enlightened  and  enlightening  views;  and  hope 
that  it  will  have  that  patronage,  not  only  from  the  Craft,  but 
from  the  World,  that  it  so  richly  deserves. 

Yours  in  the  bonds  of  Masonic  affection, 
B.  B.  French, 

G.  M.  Dist.  of  Columbia,  &c.  &c. 


From  James  Page,  Esq.,  P.  G.  M.  Grand  Lodge  of  Penn. 

Philadelphia,  March  20,  1849. 
Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  P.  G.  M.  G.  L.  of  Miss. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — have  had  the  opportunity  of  read- 
ing your  work  on  the  subject  of  Masonry,  in  which  the  Analogy 
between  it  and  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion  is  so  truly  and 
eloquently  portrayed,  and  am  of  opinion  that  it  merits  the 
countenance  and  patronage  of  the  Order  at  large,  and  will  be 


TESTIMONIALS. 


13 


found  eminently  useful  as  an  exponent  of  the  principles  and 
purity  of  the  Craft,  and  worthy  of  general  perusal. 

The  design  in  publishing  is  as  commendable  as  the  manner 
of  executing  it  is  creditable ;  and  the  Masonic  world  cannot  but 
appreciate  the  ability  displayed  in  the  beautiful  illustrations 
which  abound  in  the  Lectures.  In  the  sincere  hope  that  they 
may  be  read  by  the  lovers  of  truth  and  virtue, 

I  am,  very  fraternally,  your  brother, 

James  Page, 

P.  G.  M.  Grand  Lodge  of  Penn. 


From  Hon.  Joseph  E.  Chandler,  P.  G.  M.  Grand  Lodge 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Philadelphia,  lAarcti  31,  1849. 
Chakles  Scott,  Esq.,  P.  G.  M.  of  the  G.  L.  of  Miss. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — I  have  improved  the  opportunities 
which  have  been  afforded  me,  of  reading  considerable  portions 
of  your  Lectures  on  the  suibject  of  Masonry,  and  have  been 
struck  with  the  evidences  of  careful  reading  and  deep  reflec- 
tion which  the  work  contains.  The  Analogy  between'  Free 
Masonry  and  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion  is  both  ingenious 
and  eloquent,  and,  combined  with  the  literary  merits,  will  com- 
mend the  volume  to  general  approval,  and  to  the  frequent 
perusal  and  high  appreciation  of  the  Craft,  who  will  find  the 
principles  of  their  Order  beautifully  developed  in  its  interest- 
ing pages. 

I  join  my  brethren  in  recommending  the  work  to  the  atten- 
tion of  Free  Masons,  as  a  valuable  addition  to  Masonic  litera- 
ture ;  and  am,  with  great  respect. 

Your  friend  and  brother, 

Jos.  R.  Chandler, 

■  P.  G.  M.  of  the  G.  L.  of  Pennsylvania. 


14  TESTIMONIALS. 


From  Peter  Fritz,  Esq.,  R.  W.  G.  M.  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

Philadelphia,  April  23,  1849. 
Charles  Scott,  Esq.,  P.  G.  M.  of  the  G.  Lodge  of  Miss. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — I  have  examined  and  read,  with 
much  pleasure,  The  Analogy  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  to 
Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,^'  and  would  recommend  its 
perusal  to  all  who  desire  a  knowledge  of  the  beauties  and 
moral  tendencies  of  Ancient  Free  Masonry;  believing  that 
those  who  read  and  study  its  teachings  will  derive  much  useful 
and  practical  information,  and  become  more  fully  imbued  with 
the  true  faith  of  the  Order,  as  well  as  impress  upon  their 
minds  the  beauties  of  the  Craft,  and  its  interests  in  connection 
with  the  revelations  of  the  Scriptures.  I  therefore  take  plea- 
sure in  recommending  it  to  the  notice  of  the  Craft  generally, 
with  the  hope  that  its  gifted  author  may  reap  a  rich  reward  for 
his  labours. 

Very  truly  and  fraternally,  your  brother, 

Peter  Fritz, 
R.  W.  G.  M.  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Penn. 


I 


THE 


ANALOGY 


OP 


TO 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION, 


BY 

CHARLES  SCOTT,  A.M. 

aRAND  MASTER  OF  THE  GRAND  LODGE  OF  THE  STATE  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


'Can  there  any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth?   Come  and  see." 


FIFTH  EDITION. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
LIPPINCOTT,   GRAMBO,   &  CO., 

SUCCESSORS  TO 

GRIGG,   ELLIOT  &'G0., 

No.  14,  NORTH  FOURTH  ST 
1  850. 


c 


Entered  according  to  act  op  Congress,  in  the  -sear  1848,  bt  CHARLES  SCOTT, 
IN  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Coxtrt  for  the  Southern  jJistrict  of 
Mississippi. 


stereotyped  by  L.  JOHNSON  AND  CO. 


printed  bt  C.  SHERMAN  AND  CO. 


TO 

-  '    ftmarb  |ratt, 

MT  BELOVED   AND  VENERABLE  FATHER, 

WHO  HAS  BEEN,  FOR  MANY  YEARS,  A  CHRISTIAN  MASON. 

AND  ■WHO  MUST  SOON  BE  CALLED,  BY  THE  MASTER  OF  US  ALL, 

FROM  HIS  LABOUR  ON  EARTH  TO  REFRESHMENT  IN  HEAVEN, 
ABE 

AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


En  the  spring  of  1842,  the  author  petitioned  for  the 
degrees  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry;  and,  from  the  hour 
he  became  invested  with  the  sublime  mysteries  of  the 
Master's  degree,  a  wide  and  interesting  field  of  thought 
was  opened  to  his  view.  He  then  traced  the  outlines  of 
the  subjects  discussed  in  the  following  pages.  Time  and 
investigation  have  contributed  to  confirm  the  opinions 
which  the  author  originally  formed ;  and  being  convinced 
that  they  would  prove  useful  to  the  craft,  and  perhaps 
instructive  to  the  public,  he  yielded  to  the  solicitations  of 
many  of  his  Brethren,  and  embodied  his  thoughts  in  an 
enduring  form.  It  is  believed  that  a  work  of  this  kind  is 
much  needed;  and  should  his  labours  contribute  in  any 
manner  to  supply  that  want,  he  will  feel  himself  amply 
remunerated.  He  is  not  without  a  hope  that  the  work 
will  answer  the  design  with  which  it  was  undertaken. 
He  has  endeavoured  to  avoid  all  matters  of  theological 
controversy,  by  confining  himself,  so  far  as  practicable, 
to  principles  of  general  truth,  and  doctrines  of  universal 
belief  throughout  Christendom.  The  various  authors  con- 
sulted have  been  commonly  referred  to  in  the  body  of  the 
text,  it  being  deemed  best  to  do  so,  whenever  it  was  thought 
necessary  to  sustain  by  authorities  any  of  the  positions 


6 


PREFACE. 


assumed.  With  tMs  view  the  most  eminent  commentators 
and  learned  divines  have  been  consulted  and  diligently 
compared ;  and  the  attentive  reader  will  not  make  a 
charge  of  plagiarism,  although  quotation  marks  may 
sometimes  be  absent.  The  author  has  eschewed  every 
thing  which  might  be  construed  into  a  violation  of  any 
of  the  landmarks  of  the  Order,  or  which  would  in  any 
manner  lead  to  a  revelation  of  its  profound  mysteries. 
He  can  state,  that  even  after  the  work  was  completed, 
he  did  not  fully  determine  to  commit  it  to  the  press, 
until  it  received  the  most  unequivocal  sanction  of  his 
masonic  friends,  on  whose  judgment  and  advice  he  con- 
sidered it  entirely  safe  to  rely.  They  have  been  con- 
sulted, and  their  opinions  have  been  freely  pronounced. 
Had  there  been  even  a  diversity  of  sentiment  as  to  the 
propriety  of  a  publication  of  the  kind,  the  author  would, 
perhaps,  have  conceived  it  his  duty  to  withhold  the  work 
from  the  public  eye. 

If  the  general  reader  should  observe  a  redundancy  of 
style,  the  author  would  plead  in  extenuation  the  novelty 
of  the  subject,  and  the  difficulties  he  has  had  to  encounter 
in  writing  upon  it.  He  was  compelled  occasionally  to 
resort  to  some  circumlocution,  that  he  might  preserve 
inviolate  the  arcana  of  the  institution,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  understood  by  the  craft.  That  other  imperfec- 
tions will  become  apparent  upon  a  critical  examination, 
he  would  not  be  so  vain  as  to  doubt;  but  as  the  work 
was  prepared  chiefly  to  advance  the  cause  of  our  holy 
religion,  and  to  vindicate  the  character  of  our  ancient 
Order,  he  commits  it  to  the  indulgent  consideration  of 
the  public,  being  persuaded  that  forbearance  will  be 
the  result. 


Jackson,  Miss.,  Nov.  12, 1848. 


CONTENTS. 


^  LECTURE  I.   p.  13. 

I  will  bring  the  blind  by  a  way  that  they  knew  not;  I  will  lead  them  in  paths  that 
they  have  not  known:  I  will  make  darkness  light  before  them,  and  crooked  things 
straight :  these  things  will  I  do  unto  them,  and  not  forsake  them. — Isaiah. 

What  end  can  be  more  noble  than  the  pursuit  of  virtue  ?  What  motive  more  alluring 
than  the  practice  of  justice  ?  Or  what  instruction  more  beneficial  than  accurate  elucidar 
tion  of  symbolical  mysteries,  which  tend  to  embellish  and  adorn  the  mind  ? — AM.  Rez. 

Then  I  looked  abroad  on  the  earth,  and  behold,  the  Lord  was  in  all  things, 

Yet  I  saw  not  his  hand  in  aught,  but  perceived  that  he  worketh  by  means. — Tupper. 


LECTURE  11.    p.  29. 

Let  there  he  light,  said  God,  and  forthwith  light 
■Ethereal,  ^rsi  o/i/ii'w^s,  quintessence  pure, 
Sprung  from  the  deep,  and  from  her  native  East 
To  journey  through  the  aery  gloom  began, 
Sphered  in  a  radiant  cloud,  for  yet  the  sun 
Was  not ;  she  in  a  cloudy  tabernacle 
Sojourned  the  -while.— Milton,  Par.  Lost.         '  ^ 

In  the  first  degree,  we  are  taught  such  useful  lessons  as  prepare  the  mind  for  a  regular 
advancement  in  the  principles  of  knowledge  and  philosophy.  These  are  imprinted  on 
the  memory  by  lively  and  sensible  images. — AM.  Rez. 

His  thoughts  kindle  up  his  devotions ;  and  devotion  never  burns  so  bright  or  so  warm 
as  when  it  is  lighted  up  from  within. — Foley. 

Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  ancl 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing. — Revelation. 

Angels  are  round  the  good  man,  to  catch  the  incense  of  his  prayer, 

And  they  fly  to  administer  kindness  to  those  for  whom  he  pleadeth. — Tupper. 

7 


8 


CONTENTS. 


'  .         LECTURE  III.    p.  55. 

Our  institution  is  said  to  be  supported  by  Wisdom,  Strength,  and  Beauty.  Its  dimen- 
sions are  unlimited,  and  its  covering  no  less  than  the  canopy  of  heaven. — AM.  Eez. 

And  he  dreamed,  and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to 
heaven :  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  on  it. — Genesis. 

There  is  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  ground,  but  its  top  reaches  to  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain and  to  the  gate  of  the  city.  Are  you  willing  to  go  up,  to  leave  the  prison  and  to  seek 
the  palace  ? — Melvill. 

The  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising.— /samft. 
The  globe  shall  be  canopied  by  its  far-spreading  boughs. — Melvill. 


LECTURE  IV.    p.  81. 

.      •        )  "  ^ 

The  Grand  Master,  having  reached  the  east,  strikes  thrice  with  his  mallet,  and,  after 
profound  silence,  dedicates  the  lodge,  "  in  the  name  of  the  Great  Jehovah,  to  whom  be 
all  glory  and  honour."— Mxs.  Library. 

I  have  surely  built  thee  an  house  to  dwell  in,  a  settled  place  for  thee  to  abide  in  for 
ever. — 1  Kings. 

He  took  the  golden  compasses,  prepared 
In  God's  eternal  store  to  circumscribe 
The  universe  and  all  created  thxags.— Milton. 

I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat :  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink :  I  was 
a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in :  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me :  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came 
unto  me. — Matt. 


LECTURE  V.    p.  103. 

Let  thine  eyes  behold  the  things  that  are  equal. — Psalms. 

How  poor,  how  rich,  how  august, 

How  complicate,  how  wonderful  is  man! — Young. 

If  he  know  not  the  relations  in  which  he  stands  to  others,  and  have  not  the  means  of 
knowing  them,  he  is  guiltless.  If  he  know  them,  or  have  the  means  of  knowing  them, 
he  is  guilty  —  Wayland.  - 

There  are  emblematical  steps  delineated  on  the  tracing  board. — Ahi.  Rez. 


CONTENTS. 


9 


LECTURE  yi.    p.  121. 

The  weiglit  and  force  of  the  united  testimony  of  numbers,  upon  abstract  mathematical 
principles,  increase  in  a  higher  ratio  than  that  of  the  mere  number  of  such  witnesses. — 
Starkie. 

We  know  of  no  scriptural  method  of  addressing  transgressors,  but  as  free  agents ;  and 
we  abjure,  as  unsanctioned  by  the  Bible,  every  scheme  of  theology  which  would  make 
men  nothing  more  than  machines.; — Melvill. 

To  make  daily  progress  in  knowledge  and  virtue  is  our  constant  duty,  and  expressly 
required  by  our  general  laws.— JL/w.  Rez. 

Despise  not  what  is  wonderful,  when  all  things  are  wonderful  around  thee. 
From  the  multitude  of  like  effects  thou  sayest,  behold  a  law. — Tupper. 


LECTURE  VIL    p.  143. 

The  plumb-rule  and  level,  united,  represent  the  cross;  the  plumb-rule  constituting  the 
lower  limb,  and  the  level  the  upper  and  transverse  limb ;  while  the  heavy  setting  maul 
would  be  a  point  within  a  circle. —  Willougliby  of  Berkenhead. 

The  temple  of  speculative  .masonry  is  built  by  piling  precept  upon  precept,  symbol 
upon  symbol,  instruction,  explanation,  admonition,  example,  and  historical  fact,  like  a 
series  of  polished  and  perfect  stones,  emblematically  carved,  marked,  and  numbered. — 
Oliver. 

Say,  ancient  edifice,  thyself  with  years 
Grown  gray,  how  long  upon  the  hill  has  stood 
Thy  weather-braving  tower,  and  silent  marked 
,  The  human  leaf  in  constant  bud  and  fall?  ^  • 

The  generations  of  deciduous  men. 
How  oft  hast  thou  seen  them  pass  away  ? — Hurdis. 


LECTURE  yill.    p.  161. 

The  soul,  considered  with  its  Creator,  is  like  one  of  those  mathematical  lines  that  may 
draw  nearer  to  another  for  all  eternity  without  a  possibility  of  touching  it :  and  can 
there  be  a  thought  so  transporting  as  to  consider  ourselves  in  these  perpetual  approaches 
to  Him,  who  is  not  only  the  standard  of  perfection,  but  of  happiness  ? — Spectator. 

Masonry  includes  within  its  circle  almost  every  branch  of  polite  learning,  and  under 
the  veil  of  its  mysteries  is  comprehended  a  regular  system  of  science.— Rez. 

And  God  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it. — Genesis. 

A.nd  now  I  have  sent  a  cunning  man,  endued  with  understanding,  of  Huram  my 
father's,  the  son  of  a  woman  of  the  daughters  of  Dan,  and  his  father  was  a  man  of  Tyre. 
— 2  Chronicles. 

And  he  reared  up  the  pillars  before  the  temple,  the  one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the 
other  on  the  left. — Ibid. 

He  will  seek  out  the  secrets  of  grave  sentences,  and  be  conversant  in  dark  parables.— 
Proverbs. 

2 


10  CONTENTS. 

LECTUKE  IX.    p.  197. 

The  crowning  splendour  of  all  was  the  central  temple,  the  place  of  the  sanctuary  and 
of  the  holy  of  holies,  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  its  roof  planted  with  lofty  spearheads 
of  gold,  the  most  precious  marble  and  metals  everywhere  flashing  back  the  day,  till 
mount  Moriah  stood  forth  to  the  eye  of  the  stranger  approaching  Jerusalem,  what  it  had 
been  so  often  described  by  its  bards  and  people,  a  "mountain  of  snow,  studded  with 
jewels." — Croly. 

In  reading  the  Bible^  we  always  look,  as  it  were,  on  the  same  landscape;  the  only 
difference  being,  as  we  take  in  more  and  more  of  its  statements,  that  more  and  more  of 
the  mist  is  rolled  away  from  the  horizon,  so  that  the  eye  includes  a  broader  sweep  of 
beauty. — MdviU. 

A  creature  which  is  to  pass  a  small  portion  of  its  existence  in  one  state,  to  be  prepara- 
tory to  another,  ought,  no  doubt,  to  have  its  attention  constantly  fixed  upon  its  ulterior 
and  permanent  destination. — PaUy. 

Though  abstinence  from  sin  cannot  of  itself  take  away  the  power  of  it,  yet  it  wiJl 
put  the  heart  in  a  state  of  preparedness  for  grace  to  take  it  away. — South. 


LECTURE  X.    p.  223. 

All  things  being  are  in  mystery ;  we  expound  mysteries  by  mysteries ; 
And  yet  the  secret  of  them  all  is  one  in  simple  grandeur! — Tapper. 

Be  content ;  thine  eye  cannot  see  all  the  sides  of  a  cube  at  one  view, 
Nor  thy  mind  in  the  self-same  moment  follow  two  ideas. — Ihid. 

What  master  of  reason  or  subtilty  is  able  to  unriddle  the  gospel  ? — South. 

Man  was  originally  the  temple  of  Jehovah ;  an  earthly,  but  yet  a  magnificent  struc- 
ture, designed  to  show  forth  the  power  and  wisdom  which  could  raise  a  fabric  so  glorious 
from  materials  so  poor. — Bradley. 

And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honour  of  the  nations  into  it. — Revelation. 


LECTURE  XL    p.  239. 

The  sacrifice  of  Abraham;  which  consecrated  Mount  Moriah,  is,  to  me,  one  of  the  most 
touching  events  in  human  history.  I  can  never  read  over  the  unostentatious,  brief 
account  given  in  the  Bible,  without  the  profoundest  emotions. — Headley. 

Glory  and  brightness  are  on  that  hill-top,  and  shall  be  to  the  end  of  time ;  but  there 
was  a  morning  when  gloom  and  terror  crowned  it,  and  heaven  itself,  all  but  God  the 
Father,  gazed  on  it  in  wonder,  if  not  in  consternation. — Ihid. 

Thus,  in  different  periods  of  time,  did  God  vouchsafe  to  give  men  a  demonstrative 
proof  of  the  reality  of  a  future  state. — Bible  Biog. 


CONTENTS. 


11 


LECTURE  XII.    p.  265. 

And  we  say,  that  this  Christian  resurrection  of  life  is  the  vesting  and  setting  of  the 
Bouls  of  good  men  in  their  glorious,  spiritual,  heavenly,  and  immortal  bodies. — 
Cudworth. 

And  are  you  sure  that  old  age  will  come  with  all  these  circumstances  inviting  to 
repentance  ?  It  may  be,  and  it  is  very  likely  to  be,  to  life,  what  the  winter  is  to  the 
year,  a  time  of  chillness  and  numbness,  and  of  deadness  of  the  faculties  for  repent- 
ance.— Pearce. 

Who  but  the  Father  of  spirits,  possessed  of  perfect  prescience,  even  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  will,  and  of  the  actions  of  free,  intelligent,  and  moral  agents,  could  have  revealed 
their  unbounded  and  yet  unceasing  wanderings,  unvailed  their  destiny,  and  unmasked 
the  minds  of  the  Jews  and  of  their  enemies  in  every  age  and  in  every  clime  ? — Keith. 

From  its  base 
Ev'n  to  yon  turret's  trim  and  taper  spires, 
'    "  All  is  of  the  choicest  masonry. — Mason. 

LECTURE  XIIL    p.  305. 

The  plants  of  the  garden,  the  animals  of  the  wood,  the  minerals  of  the  earth,  and 
meteors  of  the  sky,  should  all  concur  to  store  his  mind  with  inexhavistible  variety ;  for 
any  idea  is  useful  for  the  enforcement  or  decoration  of  moral  and  religious  truths ;  and 
he  who  knows  most  will  have  most  power  of  diversifying  his  scenes,  and  of  gratifying 
his  reader  with  remote  allusions  and  unexpected  instruction. — Easselas. 

There  is  no  kind  of  knowledge,  which,  in  the  hands  of  the  diligent  and  skilful,  will 
not  turn  to  account.  Honey  exudes  from  all  flowers,  the  bitter  not  excepted ;  and  the 
bee  knows  how  to  extract  it. — Bp.  Home. 

Natural  good  is  so  intimately  connected  with  moral  good,  and  natural  evil  with  moral 
evil,  that  I  am  certain,  as  if  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  proclaim  it,  that  God  is  on  the 
side  of  virtue. — Lacon. 

Things  breed  thoughts;  therefore,  at  Thebes  and  Heliopolis, 
In  hieroglyphic  sculpture  are  the  priestly  secrets  written. — Tupper. 
Things  teach  with  double  force,  through  the  animal  eye  and  through  the  mind. 
And  the  eye  catcheth  in  an  instant  what  the  ear  shall  not  learn  within  one  hour. — Ibid. 

LECTURE  XIY.    p.  329. 

Despise  not,  shrewd  reckoner,  the  God  of  a  good  man's  worship, 

Neither  let  thy  calculating  folly  gainsay  the  unity  of  three ; 

Nor  scorn  another's  creed,  although  he  cannot  solve  thy  doubts ; 

Reason  is  the  follower  of  faith,  where  he  may  not  be  precursor. — Tupper. 
Therefore,  it  were  probable  and  just,  even  to  a' man's  weak  thinking. 
To  have  one  for  God  who  always  may  be  learnt,  yet  never  fully  known. 
Throned  in  his  sublimity  beyond  the  grovellings  of  lower  intellect, 
Should  claim  to  be  truer  than  man's  truest,  the  boasted  certainty  of  numbers. 
Should  baffle  his  arithmetic,  confound  his  demonstrations,  and  paralyze  the  might  of  his 
necessity. 

Standing  supreme  as  the  mystery  of  mysteries,  everywhere,  yet  impersonate, 
Essential  one  in  three,  essential  three  in  one. — Ibid. 


12 


CONTENTS. 


LECTURE  XV.    p.  353.  ,  . 

I  am  but  one,  and  I  always  distrust  myself.  I  only  hint  my  thoughts.-  You'll  please 
consider  whether  you  will  not  think  that  it  piay  seem  to  deserve  your  consideration. — 
Asgill. 

They  listen'd ;  for  unto  their  ear, 
The  word  which  they  had  long'd  to  hear, 
Had  come  at  last — the  lifeful  word, — ■ 
Which  they  had  often  almost  heard. — French. 

Meditation  here 
May  think  down  hours  to  moments.   Here  the  heart 
May  give  a  useful  lesson  to  the  head. 
And  learning  wiser  grow  without  his  books. — Cowper. 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 


LECTUEE  I. 

"  I  WILL  bring  the  blind  by  a  way  that  they  knew  not ;  I  will 
lead  them  in  paths  that  they  have  not  known  :  I  will  make  darkness 
light  before  them,  and  crooked  things  straight;  these  things  will  I  do 
unto  them,  and  not  forsake  them." — Isaiah. 

"  What  end  can  be  more  noble  than  the  pursuit  of  virtue  %  What 
motive  more  alluring  than  the  practice  of  justice?  Or  what  instruc- 
tion more  beneficial  than  accurate  elucidation  of  symbolical  mysteries, 
which  tend  to  embellish  and  adorn  the  mind  ?" — AM.  Rez. 

"Then  I  looked  abroad  on  the  earth,  and  behold,  the  Lord  was  in 
all  things. 

Yet  I  saw  not  his  hand  in  aught,  but  perceived  that  he  worketh  by 
means . " —  Tupper . 

The  enlightened  craftsman  beholds  in  Free 
Masonry  a  wonderful  institution.  Founded,  as  it 
is,  on  the  truths  contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
its  principles  constitute  a  moral  science,  which 
surpasses  every  other  in  the  world.  It  is  a  com- 
pact system  of  rites,  ceremonies,  emblems  and 

B  13 


14  -ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

ijpes^  which  are  designed  to  teach  and  elucidate 
the  rules  of  moral  action,  and  those  great  truths 
which  remind  us  of  immortality,  and  lead  to  the 
solemn  contemplation  of  the  mysteries  of  eternity. 
The  several  degrees  of  ancient  craft  Masonry  are 
generally  regarded  as  symbolical,  and  they  con- 
tain permanent  land-marks  of  every  thing  beauti- 
ful and  sublime  in  the  government  of  God.  And 
such  is  the  nature  and  universality  of  our  mystic 
language,  that  it  cannot  be  exposed  to  any  inno- 
vation or  change.  It  is  understood  and  spoken 
by  the  craft,  wherever  they  are  dispersed  around 
the  globe,  and  it  forms  a  common  medium  of  com- 
munication or  intercourse  among  our  brethren  of 
all  nations,  tribes,  kindreds,  and  tongues.  And 
something  exceedingly  beautiful  may  be  perceived 
in  this,  if  the  view  proposed  to  be  taken  of  the 
Order  be  founded  in  reason. 

The  true  philosophy  of  masonic  work,  when 
properly  understood,  will  be  found  to  consist  in 
the  grand  design  to  teach  those  doctrines  which 
essentially  relate  to  the  temporal  and  eternal 
destinies  of  our  race.  The  cardinal  elements  of 
divine  truth  are  sublimely  evolved  in  our  lodges 
by  the  means  or  use  of  certain  allegorical  rites 
and  ceremonies.  The  thoughtful  Mason,  when  he 
surveys  the  moral  machinery  and  its  beautiful 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  15 

operationSj  becomes  seriously  impressed  with  the 
truth  embraced  in  the  doctrines  of  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul^  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 
and  the  mystery  of  the  eternal  Godhead.  Our 
system  comprises  the  whole  history  of  man,  from 
the  moment  of  his  creation  to  the  consummation 
of  all  things — -from  the  beginning  of  time  to  the 
final  judgment;  and,  therefore,  must  necessarily 
refer  to  the  purity  of  our  first  estate, — our  lost  in- 
nocence,— and  the  only  means  of  its  restoration. 
Herein,  consists,  it  is  believed,  the  chief  value  and 
dignity  of  speculative  masonry,  which  is  justly 
entitled  to  occupy  an  elevated  ground,  and  com- 
mand the  enlightened  consideration  of  the  world. 

If  the  institution  be  of  ancient  origin — if  it 
existed  at  the  building  of  King  Solomon's  temple, 
(of  which  there  is  plenary  testimony  furnished 
to  every  well-informed  member  of  the  craft,)  then 
there  is  much  reason  to  think  that  its  types  and 
remarkable  events  shadowed  forth  or  mystically 
represented  the  glorious  plan  of  redemption.  We 
believe  that  our  ancient  brethren  read  in  them 
the  most  cherished  assurances  of  a  coming  Mes- 
siah, in  an  age  then  far  ofi",  as  distinctly  as  they 
did  in  the  types  and  prophecies  of  the  old  dispen- 
sation. It  was  the  pleasure  of  an  infinitely  wise 
God,  "who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of 


16  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

his  own  will,"  to  dispense  the  light  of  truth  in 
various  ways.  Some  are  brought  to  light  in  one 
way,  and  some  in  another.  "  While  the  world 
;  was  yet  young,"  and  transgression  of  recent  origin, 
God  vouchsafed  to  hold  direct  communication 
with  our  race,  and  furnished  our  fathers  with 
intimations  of  redemption,  and  directed  them  in 
the  forms  of  acceptable  worship.*  As  time  pro- 
gressed, and  population  multiplied,  and  the  world 
grew,  the  revelations  of  Heaven  became  more  and 
more  distinct,  and  thus  more  light  was  afforded. 
Then  God's  wonderful  plan  of  salvation  was  gra- 
dually revealed.  There  were  degrees  or  stages  of 
heavenly  knowledge;  there  were  eras  of  Divine 
truth.  At  one  period,  the  compasses  were  under 
the  square;  at  another,  one  of  its  points  was 
raised;  and  at  another  time,  both  were  elevated. 
The  merciful  and  glorious  purposes  of  the  Al- 
mighty were  at  last  intrusted  to  the  keeping  of 
the  House  of  Israel.f  With  his  chosen  people 
was  deposited  the  truth,  which,  at  first,  was 


*  We  have  but  faint  traces  of  patriarchal  religion ;  but  we  know  ' 
that  while  the  world  was  yet  young,  and  evil  only  of  recent  introduc- 
tion, God  held  intercourse  with  the  fathers  of  humankind,  and  in- 
structed them  in  the  mode  in  which  he  would  be  worshipped. — 1  Mel. 
Sf>.r.  p.  298. 

fl  Mel.  Ser.  298. 


NATUKAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  17 

taught  in  their  mystical  rites,  and  afterwards  by 
the  second  sight  of  the  prophets.  The  sacramen- 
tal treasures  and  shadows  of  the  temple  followed, 
and  then  the  Day-spring  on  high  dawned  upon 
the  world.  So  there  were  different  degrees  of 
the  knowledge  of  "  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus 
but  they  referred  to  one  Saviour — Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth. There  are  several  degrees  in  masonry ;  but 
the  knowledge  which  the  Entered  Apprentice  ac- 
quires only  differs  in  degree  from  that  of  the 
Fellow-Craft,  while  that  of  the  Fellow-Craft  is  a 
part  of  the  same  great  light  which  shines  so  bril- 
liantly on  the  mind  of  the  Master  Mason,  and 
causes  his  soul  to  beat  with  the  mighty  "pulses  of 
eternity."  If,  in  the  patriarchal  age,  traces  of 
Divine  truth  were  made  visible  in  the  firstlings  of 
the  flock,  which  were  offered  up  on  some  rude 
altar,  the  Entered  Apprentice  may  read,  in  the 
emblems  which  adorn  his  chart,  some  beautiful 
intimations  of  a  heavenly  dispensation.  If  the 
ancient  and  devout  Jew  beheld  in  the  blood  of  the 
paschal  lamb  the  blood  of  One  which  was  shed  to 
redeem  mankind,  the  Entered  Apprentice  wears 
an  emblem  of  innocence  in  which  he  may  behold 
a  memorial  of  the  Lamb  which  was  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.  If  the  Israelites  loved  to 
worship  in  that  splendid  temple  which  our  ancient 


18 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


masters  erected,  and  saw  in  its  solemn  pomps  and 
ceremonies  august  t}^es  of  the  Redeemer,  the 
Fellow-Craft  mason,  who  has  been  advanced  to 
the  inner  chamber  of  our  moral  edifice,  and  who 
has  kneeled  in  reverential  awe  in  the  holy  pres- 
ence of  the  Deity,  may  rejoice  in  that  enlarging 
faith  which  bids  him  look  forward  to  the  fulness 
of  that  greater  light  which  illumines  the  holy  of 
holies.  K  our  being  on  earth  be  merely  transi- 
tory,— if  the  human  soul  is  destined  to  an  ever- 
lasting duration  in  that  boundless  hereafter,  where 
decay  and  time  are  unknown,  then  any  system  of 
moral  and  religious  instruction  should  commend 
itself  to  the  serious  consideration  of  rational  and 
immortal  beings. 

Masonry  is  by  no  means  intended  to  supplant 
the  religion  of  the  Bible,  or  detract  from  the 
church  of  God ;  but  as  one  of  the  outward  aids  of 
truth,  it  will  often  induce  men  to  ponder  upon  the 
nature  of  the  und}dng  principle  of  life,  and  its 
relations  to  the  other  world.  The  masonic  insti- 
tution is,  in  fact,  founded  on  the  Bible,  as  we 
hope  to  estabhsh  in  the  following  pages.  The 
Holy  Bible  is  the  first  great  light  of  the  Order,* 

*  A3  more  immediate  ^ides  for  a  Free  Mason,  the  lodo^e  is  fur- 
nished with  unerring  rules,  whereby  he  shall  form  his  conduct.  The 
book  of  the  law  is  laid  before  him,  that  he  may  not  say,  through 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  19 


and  the  outlines  of  every  degree  which  belongs  to 
ancient  craft  masonry,  may  be  found  in  that  won- 
derful volume. 

Religion  has  its  external  aids  and  its  outward 
symbols.  The  Lord  multiplied  visions  and  used 
similitudes  by  the  ministry  of  the  prophets. — 
Rosea  xii.  10.  The  wise  founders  of  the  masonic 
institution  were  acquainted  with  the  Almighty's 
mode  of  instruction,  and  hence  our  figurative  or 
symbolical  language.  Solomon,  who  was  our  first 
Most  Excellent  Grand  Master,  adorned  his  writ- 
ings with  the  richest  metaphors,  drawn  from  the 
visible  universe.  All  the  inspired  poets  borrowed 
their  similitudes  and  sublime  imagery  from  exter- 
nal nature.  Mankind  are  creatures  of  sense  and 
observation.  Religion  has  its  forms  and  cere- 
monies, its  altars  and  its  creeds.  It  is  for  ever 
allied,  too,  to  the  exterior  world  or  material 
nature.    Rich  are  its  associations  with  the  earth. 

ignorance  he  erred ;  whatever  the  Great  Architect  of  the  world  hath 
dictated  to  mankind  as  the  mode  in  which  he  should  be  served,  and 
the  path  in  which  to  tread  to  obtain  his  approbation,  whatever  pre- 
cepts he  hath  administered,  and  with  whatever  laws  he  hath  inspired 
the  sages  of  old,  the  same  are  faithfully  comprised  in  the  book  of 
the  law  of  masonry.  That  book,  which  is  never  closed  in  any  lodge, 
reveals  the  duties  which  the  Great  Master  of  all  exacts  from  us ;  open 
to  every  eye,  comprehensible  to  every  mind;  then  who  can  say 
among  us  that  he  knoweth  not  the  acceptable  service? — Ahi,  Rez. 
p.  145,  note. 


20        .  ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Judea  is  the  native  land  of  our  Saviour,  and  the 
city  of  David  was  his  birth-place.  He  grew  up  in 
that  holy  land.  He  visited  its  towns  and  cities. 
He  wandered  in  its  valleys  and  sojourned  on  its 
hills.  In  that  land  of  marvellous  things  he  healed 
the  sick,  unstopped  the  ears  of  the  deaf,  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  blind,  raised  the  dead,  and  estab- 
lished his  kingdom  for  ever.  There,  too,  he  died 
for  our  iniquities,  was  buried,  rose  again  for  our 
justification,  and  from  thence  ascended  into  glory. 
The  influences  of  external  nature  are  as  necessary 
as  they  are  wonderful.  They  often  facilitate  the 
improvement  of  the  moral  faculties,  elevate  the 
affections,  and  fill  the  heart  with  a  lively  sense  of 
gratitude  to  God.  Who  can  look  upon  the  lofty 
mountain,  and  not  feel  the  awful  grandeur  of 
Deity,  who  laid  its  everlasting  foundation  ?  Who 
can  survey  the  valleys  of  earth,  teeming  with  rich 
productions  and  waving  with  golden  harvests,  and 
not  think  of  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  the  Lord  ? 
Who  can  feel  the  healthful  rays  of  the  charitable 
sun,*  or  listen  to  the  kind  rains  descending,  and 

*  Bishop  Home,  in  one  of  his  fragmentary  pieces,  says,  that  "The 
end  of  knowledge  is  charity,  or  the  communication  of  it  for  the  benefit 
of  others."    This  truth  he  illustrates  by  a  passage  from  Milton : 

"  Consider  first  that  great 
Or  bright  infers  not  excellence  :  the  earth. 
Though,  in  comparison  of  heaven,  so  small, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  21 


not  be  haunted  by  a  beautiful  spirit  of  worship  for 
Him^  who  bids  the  sun  to  shine  and  the  rains  to 
descend  alike  on  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  evil 
and  the  good  ?  What  Newton  ever  trode  the  hea- 
vens, and  caught  no  glimpse  of  immortahty  ?  The 
wise  men  of  the  East  were  heralded  by  a  star  to 
the  village  of  our  Lord's  nativity.  The  moon  and 
her  lovely  train  pour  their  gentle  influences  into 
the  soul.  The  witching  hour  of  night  woos  the 
mind  to  thought.  The  grave  tells  us  of  a  great 
hereafter.  The  city  of  the  dead  makes  us  think 
of  the  city  of  our  God.  The  coming  or  departing 
hour  whispers  something  of  immortality.  The 
yellow  leaf,  the  withered  flower,  and  the  running 
stream  invite  our  souls  to  heaven,  where  joy  can 
never  fade,  and  peace  is  a  perennial  fountain. 
Autumn  should  teach  us  to  prepare  for  death, 
while  the  falling  leaves  sound  to  the  ear  like 
notes  of  pensive  music,  or  a  funeral  song.* 

Nor  glist'ring,  may  of  solid  gold  contain 
More  plenty  than  the  sun  that  barren  shines ; 
Whose  virtue  on  itself  works  no  effect, 
Bat  in  the  fruitful  earth ;  there  first  received 
His  beams,  inactive  else,  their  vigour  find." 
*  The  Scriptures  contain  many  affecting  images  of  the  shortness  of 
human  life ;  but  to  understand  those  images  fully,  we  should  visit  the 
country  from  which  those  images  are  drawn.    Let  the  traveller  visit 
the  beautiful  plains  of  Smyrna,  or  any  other  part  of  the  East,  in  the 


22  ^      ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

The  benign  principles  of  masonry,  like  those  of 
Christianity,  have  too  often  been  perverted.  Our 
most  wholesome  lessons  are  often  disregarded ;  our 
laws  and  constitutions  have  been  openly  violated; 
and  our  landmarks  purposely  forgotten.  Many 
unite  themselves  with  the  fraternity,  with  no 
higher  aim  than  that  of  satisfying  an  idle  curiosity, 
or  with  the  design  of  gratifying  some  low  ambition. 
There  are  others  who  expect  to  be  invested  with 
some  wonderful  secrets,  and  to  witness  the  most 
mysterious  evolutions.  Having  received  the  seve- 
ral degrees,  they  seem  to  be  overcome  with  a  spell 
of  disappointment,  and  never  dwell  for  a  moment 
even  on  the  beautiful  and  sublime  emblems  of  the 
Order.  They  never  look  beyond  the  surface  of 
the  ritual  or  masonic  lectures,  for  those  mysteries 
which  are  deeply  enshrined  within.  None  but  an 
expert  master  can  have  the  key  with  which  the 
gates  of  the  temple  are  unlocked,  or  be  furnished 
with  the  means  of  entering  the  apartments  of  the 
building  filled  with  heavenly  treasures ! 

It  is  difficult  to  tell  how  the  types  of  masonry 
can  escape  the  attention  of  any  one  who  has  been 


month  of  May,  and  revisit  it  toward  the  end  of  June,  and  he  will  per- 
ceive the  force  and  beauty  of  these  allusions. — Hartley's  Researches  in 
Greece^  p.  237. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  23 

raised  to  the  sublime  degree  of  a  Master.  The 
whole  plan  or  design  of  the  institution  having 
been  drawn  from  the  volume  of  inspiration,  it 
must  necessarily  contain  types  and  symbols  of  the 
most  significant  character.  The  symbolical  degrees 
seem  to  have  been  most  ingeniously  and  wisely 
constructed,  for  the  purpose  of  shadowing  forth  an 
event  very  similar  to  that  which  was  typified  in 
the  old  dispensation  of  God.  The  signs,  tokens, 
emblems,  and  ceremonies  of  the  degrees  of  Entered 
Apprentice  and  Fellow-Craft,  direct  the  mind  of 
the  contemplative  Mason  to  the  future,  or  lead  it 
to  anticipate  some  mystery  which  would  be  re- 
vealed in  the  Master's  degree.  While  the  first 
two  degrees  prepare  the  mind  for  the  reception 
of  greater  knowledge  of  traditionary  lore,  they  also 
contain  many  types  of  an  event  in  which  the 
eternal  happiness  of  mankind  was  bound  up. 

We  would  not  be  misunderstood.  Masonry  can 
lay  no  just  claim  to  a  Divine  origin,  though  one  of 
its  founders  was  inspired.*    There  is  evidently  a 

*  Many,  who  know  nothing  of  our  rites,  or  the  principles  of 
masonry,  presume  too  much  when  they  undertake  to  condemn  the 
Order.  They  very  frequently  charge,  that  it  is  substituted  for  the 
church ;  when,  if  they  were  Masons,  they  would  soon  be  convinced 
that,  while  it  is  a  handmaid  to  religion,  it  leaves  every  one  to  worship 
God  under  his  own  vine  and  fig  tree.  It  may  lead  the  benighted 
Mason  to  the  true  light,  as  we  shall  endeavour  to  show ;  but,  according 


24 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


designed  resemblance  between  the  events  which 
are  represented  in  the  several  degrees.  The  types 
succeed  each  other  in  regular  order.  They  natu- 
rally follow  each  other ;  though  they  may  not  be 
readily  comprehended  by  the  Entered  Apprentice 
or  Fellow-Craft  in  their  complete  typical  significa- 
tion. It  has  been  supposed  that  many  of  the  cir- 
cumstances recorded  in  the  Old  Testament  weie 
not  generally  known  to  be  typical,  until  the  great 
event  with  which  the  future  was  charged  had 
transpired;  when  the  resemblance  between  them 
became  so  striking  that  the  typical  character 
of  those  circumstances  could  no  longer  be  con- 
cealed.* So  the  intimations  contained  in  the 
symbols  of  the  first  and  second  degrees  may  not 
be  fully  perceived  by  the  Entered  Apprentice  and 
Fellow-Craft;  but  where  is  the  Master  Mason 
who  can  fail  to  observe  the  resemblance  and  inti- 
mate connection  which  exist  between  the  degrees 
and  the  events  they  illustrate  ?  The  Master  can 
comprehend  the  types,  and  trace  out  their  signifi- 
cation. "The  members  of  our  society,"  says  an 
eminent  Mason,  "  at  this  day,  in  the  third  stage  of 

to  its  rules,  no  man  of  unexceptionable  morals,  and  who  believes  in 
the  existence  of  God,  can  be  rightfully  excluded  from  a  knowledge 
of  the  mysteries. 

*  Townsend's  Notes  on  the  Types  of  the  New  Testament,  p.  72. 


NATURAL  AND  EEVEALED  RELIGION.  25 


masonry,  confess  themselves  to  he  Christians.  The 
veil  of  the  temple  has  been  rent — the  builder  is 
smitten,  and  we  are  raised  from  the  tomb  of  trans- 
gression.— 1  OL  Land,  ^.  4i2. 

Prophetic  writing  is  defined  by  Bishop  Warbur- 
ton  to  be  a  speaking  hieroglyphic.  Emblems  or 
hieroglyphics  were  used  long  anterior  to  the  in- 
vention of  alphabetical  writing;  •and  it  may  be 
affirmed  that  all  which  is  beautiful  in  the  allegori- 
cal style  of  composition  is  derived  from  the  hiero- 
glyphical  language  of  the  ancients.  The  mys- 
teries of  our  Order  are  couched  in  figurative  or 
emblematical  language,  which  has  a  hidden  or  in- 
ternal sense  similar  to  that  which  exists  in  the 
word  of  Eevelation.  The  Scriptures,  in  many 
parts,  may  be  regarded  in  both  a  literal  and  spi- 
ritual sense.  So  it  may  be  affirmed  that  many  of 
the  emblems  of  masonry  may  be  viewed  in  a 
double  sense.  The  regular  lectures  may  often 
direct  the  mind  to  their  literal  meaning,  and  pass 
over  in  silence  their  spiritual  or  internal  meaning. 
This  internal  sense  of  our  mystic  language  is  often 
"hard  to  be  understood;"  but  with  the  aid  of 
Divine  truth  much  that  appears  difficult  to  com- 
prehend will  become  clear.  By  the  brilliant 
light  of  the  new  dispensation,  the  hidden  or  spi- 
ritual meaning  of  our  emblems  may  be  perceived, 
4  c 


26 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  that  darkness  which  rests  on  the  mind  will 
disappear  like  mists  before  the  rising  sun.  We 
know  that  there  is  a  book  "  written  within  and 
on  the  backside,  sealed  with  seven  seals." — Rev, 
V.  1.  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither 
under  the  earth,  has  been  able  to  open  it;  but  the 
Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  has  prevailed  to  open  and 
to  loose  the  seven  seals. — Rev.  v.  3 — 5. 

The  internal  sense  of  our  lectures  or  land- 
marks* finds  its  analogy  in  the  sacred  writings. 
The  garden  of  Eden  actually  existed,  however 
much  commentators  and  critics  may  have  dis- 
puted as  to  the  point  of  its  location.  It  matters 
not  whether  it  was  in  the  third  heaven,  in  the 
regions  of  the  air,  or  on  the  earth.  But  although 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  there  was  such  a 
place  as  the  terrestrial  paradise,  it  was  a  type  or 
fledge  of  the  Eden  of  the  skies.  Adam  and  Eve 
were  real  persons,  and  the  innocence  of  their  first 
estate  was  emblematical  of  that  purity  which  ex- 
ists in  heaven.  "  The  institution  of  marriage,  the 
cause,  bond,  and  cement  of  the  social  state,  was 
probably  designed  to  prefigure  that  harmony, 

*  There  is  a  certain  course  of  instruction  in  the  masonic  degrees 
which  are  denominated  lectures.  The  universal  laws  and  universal 
language  of  masonry  are  landmarks.  There  are  certain  local  ceremo- 
nies, usages,  &c.,  which  are  not  landmarks. — Mack,  Lex.  p.  178,  179. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGIOlf.  27 

order,  and  blessedness  which  must  reign  in  the 
kingdom  of  God." — Clarke  s  Com.  Gen.  iii.  Christ, 
speaking  of  himself,  said  :  "  I  am  the  living  bread 
which  came  down  from  heaven :  if  any  man  eat 
of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever :  and  the  bread 
that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I  will  give  for 
the  life  of  the  world."  The  Jews  were  astonished 
at  his  words,  and  Jesus  said  unto  them :  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of 
the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no 
life  in  you.  Whoso  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  hath  eternal  life ;  and  I  will  raise  him 
up  at  the  last  day.  For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed, 
and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed.  It  is  the  spirit 
that  quickeneth ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing :  the 
words  that  I  speak  unto  you  they  are  sjpirit^  and 
they  are  lifer — John  vi. 

The  secret  or  spiritual  meaning  of  the  masonic 
emblems  and  work  we  will  endeavour  to  present 
in  a  manner  acceptable  both  to  the  fraternity  and 
general  reader.  Some  of  our  views  may  appear 
novel,  but  if  they  are  fairly  investigated,  they  will 
be  found  to  be  consistent  with  the  principles  of 
the  Order  and  the  doctrines  of  that  saored  volume 
which  is  ever  open  upon  our  altars. 


LECTURE  II. 


Let  there  he  lights  said  God,  and  forthwith  light 

Ethereal, ^rs^  of  things,  quintessence  pure, 

Sprung  from  the  deep,  and  from  her  native  East 

To  journey  through  the  aery  gloom  began, 

Sphered  in  a  radiant  cloud,  for  yet  the  sun 

Was  not;  she  in  a  cloudy  tabernacle 

Sojourned  the  while.  Milton,  Par.  Lost. 

In  the  first  degree,  we  are  taught  such  useful  lessons  as  prepare  the 
mind  for  a  regular  advancement  in  the  principles  of  knowledge  and 
philosophy.  These  are  imprinted  on  the  memory  by  lively  and  sen- 
sible images. — Mi.  Rez. 

His  thoughts  kindle  up  his  devotions ;  and  devotion  never  burns  so 
bright  or  so  warm  as  when  it  is  lighted  up  from  within. — Paley. 

Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches, 
and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing. — Reve- 
lation. 

Angels  are  round  the  good  man,  to  catch  the  incense  of  his  prayer. 
And  they  fly  to  administer  kindness  to  those  for  whom  he  pleadeth. 

Tuppei, 

No  reflecting  Mason  can  witness  the  initiation 
of  a  candidate,  without  being  impressed  with  the 
intellectual  and  moral  tendencies  of  the  degree  of 

02  29 


30 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


Entered  Apprentice  *  It  portrays  the  beauty, 
loveliness,  and  simplicity  of  a  virtuous  and  holy 
life.  The  word  candidate  denotes  one  whose  mo- 
tives and  intentions  are  pure.  He  represents  one 
who  has  been  long  wandering  in  moral  darkness^ 
in  the  ways  of  sin  and  unbelief,  but  is  desirous 
of  receiving  the  light  of  wisdom  and  virtue;  one 
who  longs  for  the  Spirit  of  truth  to  move  upon  the 
face  of  his  degraded  intellect,  and  bring  forth  the 
light  of  immortality.  Darkness  fearfully  broods 
over  the  mysterious  depths  of  the  uninstructed 
mind,  which  is  without  form  and  void.f  Nothing 
but  the  Spirit  of  righteousness  can  dispel  the 
gloom,  or  illumine  the  solemn  deep.  A  new 
creation  must  take  place ;  a  moral  renovation 
pass  over  the  long-neglected  soul;  a  light  must 
arise  upon  the  benighted  mind,  that  there  may  be 
called  into  being  beautiful  associations  of  thought 
and  feeling.  The  candidate  represents  one  whose 
soul  must  be  born  again,  and  become  endowed 
with  new  hopes,  new  joys,  new  affections,  new 


*  The  first  degree  is  well  calculated  to  enforce  the  duties  of 
morality,  and  imprint  on  the  memory  the  noblest  principles  which 
can  adorn  the  human  mind.  It  is,  therefore,  the  best  introduction  to 
the  second  degree,  which  not  only  extends  the  same  plan,  but  com- 
prehends a  more  diffusive  system  of  knowledge. — Mas.  Lib.  p.  165. 

1 1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  361  ;  D'Oyly  and  Mant's  Com.  Gen.  i.  2,  3. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  31 


thoughts,  new  feeHngs  and  sentiments.*  Evil 
must  be  pkicked  up  by  the  roots.  There  are  evil 
desires  which  must  be  cast  out  of  the  temple,  be- 
fore it  can  be  inhabited  by  that  lovely  tenantry 
which  delight  to  dwell  in  a  peaceful  soul.  Here, 
too,  is  taught  the  necessity  and  efficacy  of  prayer.f 
Around  our  mystic  altars  do  Christian  Masons 
devoutly  kneel,  and  offer  up  their  devotions  to 
the  Almighty  Father  of  the  universe.  The  fer- 
vent petition  ascends,  "that  the  candidate  may 
not  only  become  a  true  and  faithful  brother,  but 
that  he  may  dedicate  himself  and  devote  his  life 
to  the  service  of  God;  and  that  he  might  be  en- 
dued with  a  competency  of  divine  wisdom,  that 
by  the  secrets  of  our  art  he  might  be  better  ena- 
bled to  display  the  beauties  of  holiness  to  the 
honour  of  God's  holy  name." — Cross  Chart,  p.  18. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  no  one  could  enter  the 
mountain  of  the  house  for  prayer  and  devotion, 
without  adhering  strictly  to  the  established  cus- 

*  As  God  divided  the  light  from  the  darkness — so  he  will  separate 
the  righteous  from  the  wicked  in  the  final  day. 

fit  has  been  well  said  of  prayer,  that  prayer  will  either  make  a 
man  leave  off  sinning,  or  sin  will  make  him  leave  oflf  prayer. — Pal. 
Ser,  p.  1.  All  the  ceremonies  of  our  Order  are  prefaced  and  termi- 
nated by  prayer,  because  masonry  is  a  religious  institution,  and  be- 
cause we  thereby  show  our  dependence  on,  and  our  faith  and  trast  in 
God.-^Mack.  Lex.  p.  242. 


82        .  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

toms.  No  man  could  enter  without  pulling  off  his 
shoes  or  sandals ;  he  could  not  carry  into  the  tem- 
ple any  weapon,  money,  or  metallic  substance.* 
The  temple  was  a  house  of  peace,  and  "  it  was 
necessary,"  says  Horne,  "  that  he  should  be  divest- 
ed of  all  worldly  cares  and  affections ;  and  having 
entered  to  pray  and  attend  the  service,  he  was  to 
stand  with  his  feet  one  even  with  the  other,  as 
a  servant  before  his  master,  with  all  reverence  and 
fear." 

To  pray  often  and  earnestly,  putting  all  our 
trust  in  the  Lord,  is  the  duty  of  every  man  and 
Mason.f  The  pious  and  prayerful  man  may  pur- 
sue his  journey  through  life,  and  fear  no  evil.  It 
is  our  duty,  as  Masons,  not  only  to  pray  for  our- 
selves, but  for  our  brethren,  wherever  they  may  be. 
The  vows  are  upon  us;  and  he  who  violates  them 
departs  from  the  ancient  and  acceptable  custom  of 
the  Order.  Then, 

Let  out  thy  soul,  and  pray ! 

Not  for  thy  home  alone ; 
Away  in  prayer,  away  ! 

Make  all  the  world  thine  own. 


*  We  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain  we  can 
carry  nothing  out.    1  Tim.  vi.  7. 

f  Faith  is  a  masonic  and  Christian  virtue,  and  "  prayer  is  the  voice 
of  faith." 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  33 

Let  out  thy  soul  in  prayer ; 

Oh,  let  thy  spirit  grow  ! 
God  gives  thee  sun  and  air ; 

Let  the  full  blossom  blow  ! 

Code's  Chris.  Bal.  p.  48. 

The  fraternity  are  taught  the  necessity  of  ap- 
peaUng  to  the  throne  of  Heaven,  before  entering 
upon  any  important  undertaking.  To  the  Father 
of  all  we  must  ask  for  strength  and  power  to  sup- 
port us  in  every  trial,  duty,  and  emergency  in  life. 
It  is  not  difficult  for  us  to  learn  who  taught  us  to 
pray,  and  how  to  pray.  The  Holy  One  prompts 
the  sinful  heart  to  plead  for  forgiveness,  and  ask 
for  heavenly  things.  Jesus,  while  on  earth, 
taught  his  disciples  how  to  pray.  The  masonic 
authority  for  praying  before  entering  upon  any 
important  undertaking  will  be  found  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. Before  Elijah  attempted  to  restore  the 
dead  child  of  the  Shunamite,  he  prayed  unto  the 
Lord.  He  knew  and  felt  that  all  power  resided 
with  God,  and  that  the  departed  soul  could  not 
return,  unless  He  who  had  taken  it  away  willed  it 
to  come  back.  Jesus  prayed  just  before  he  raised 
Lazarus  from  the  dead.  In  Gethsemane,  it  is  re- 
corded, he  fell  on  his  face  and  prayed.  How  often 
did  He,  while  on  earth,  stretch  forth  his  hands  in 
holy  prayer  for  our  fallen   nature.  Solomon 


34 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 


prayed  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple.  And  he 
kneeled  down  upon  Ms  knees^  before  all  the  congre- 
gation of  Israel,  and  spread  forth  his  hands  toward 
heaven,  and  offered  up  his  prayer. — 2  Chron. 
vi.  13.  The  mourning  Ezra  fell  upon  his  knees 
and  spread  out  his  hands  to  God  in  prayer. — E^ra 
ix.  5.*  And  how  affecting  is  the  prayer  of 
Stephen,  in  the  trying  hour  of  martyrdom  I  "  He 
kneeled  down,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice.  Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge.  And  when  he 
had  said  this,  he  fell  asleep." — Acts  vii.  60.  With 
his  last  breath  he  ended  his  prayer,  and  it  went 
up  in  company  with  his  soul  to  the  home  of  the 
saints. 

As  rays  around  the  source  of  light 
Stream  upward,  ere  he  glow  in  sight, 


*  Similar  postures  were  adopted  by  most  of  the  heathen  nations 
that  pretended  to  any  kind  of  worship,  when  approaching  the  object 
of  their  adoration ;  which  it  is  highly  probable  they  borrowed  from 
the  people  of  God.  Kneeling  was  ever  considered  the  proper  posture 
of  supplication,  as  it  expressed  humility,  contrition,  and  subjection. 
If  the  person  to  whom  the  supplication  was  addressed  was  within 
reach,  the  supplicant  caught  him  by  the  knees ;  for,  as  among  the 
ancients,  the  forehead  was  consecrated  to  genius,  the  ear  to  memory, 
and  the  right  hand  to  faith,  so  the  knees  were  consecrated  to  mercy. 
Hence,  those  who  entreated  favor,  fell  at,  and  caught  hold  of  the 
knees  of  the  person  whose  kindness  they  supplicated. — 2  Kornt'i 
Intro,  p.  131.    For  other  examples  see  2  Pict.  Did.  p.  1074. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  35 


And,  watching  by  his  future  flight, 

Set  the  clear  heavens  on  fire ; 
So  on  the  King  of  martyrs  wait 
Three  chosen  bands,  in  royal  state, 
And  all  earth  owns  of  good  and  great 

Is  gather'd  in  that  choir. — Keble's  Christ.  Year. 

That  great  theologian,  Jeremy  Taylor,  said: 
Prayer  is  the  peace  of  our  spirit,  the  stillness  of 
our  thoughts,  the  evenness  of  recollection,  the  seat 
of  meditation,  the  rest  of  our  cares,  and  the  calm 
of  our  tempest.  Prayer  is  the  issue  of  a  quiet 
mind  and  untroubled  thoughts,  it  is  the  daughter 
of  chariiy^  it  is  the  sister  of  meekness."  Let  us 
not  forget  that  masonry  teaches  us  that  it  is  our 
duty  to  pray;  and  that  Jesus  has  instructed  us 
all  to  pray.    "  Lord,  teach  us  how  to  pray." 

There  is  much  beauty  and  sublimity  in  being 
brought  masonically  to  light.  The  morning 
comes  forth  from  her  chamber  of  repose  in  the 
starry  firmament,  clad  in  a  garment  of  light.  The 
sun  issues  from  his  bridal  apartments  with  a 
statel}^  step,  and  takes  up  his  daily  walk  in  the 
heavens.  Dark  clouds  and  the  wing  of  the 
tempest  once  rested  on  the  holy  mountain  of 
Sinai,  but  a  light  was  kindled  on  its  summit, 
which  threw  a  moral  grandeur  over  all  creation, 
and  imparted  a  knowledge  of  the  goodness,  mercy, 
and  power  of  God.    From  the  smitten  rock  of 


36  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Horeb  gushed  a  fountain  of  pure  and  limpid 
waters,  and  from  the  pent-up  recesses  of  the  rock 
and  dark  caves  of  the  mountain,  it  came  forth  hke 
some  stream  of  life  and  light,  to  cheer  and  refresh 
our  fathers  in  the  wilderness.  The  House  of 
J acob  walked  in  the  light  of  the  Lord.  God  lifts 
up  the  light  of  his  countenance  on  our  dark  and 
fallen  nature.  He  has  given  us  the  glorious  light 
of  the  gospel,  to  enhghten  our  understanding.  It 
is  destined  to  penetrate  the  darkest  corners  of 
earth,  and  cast  its  luminous  rays  over  the  be- 
nighted nations.  God  calls  us  "to  walk  in  his 
Hght."  The  gospel  points  us  to  the  day-spring  on 
high.  "We  read  of  the  bright  and  morning  star; 
the  dawn  of  creation;  and  the  morning  of  the 
resurrection. 

The  Saviour  lends  his  light  and  heat 

That  crowns  his  holy  hill ; 
The  saints,  like  stars,  around  his  seat, 

Perform  their  courses  still. 

Keble's  Christian  Year,  p.  80. 

Light,  in  a  figurative  sense,  signifies  a  clear  and 
luminous  state  of  things.*    What  I  tell  you  in 


*  Light,  true  light,  in  the  mind  is,  or  can  be  nothing-  else  but  the 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  any  proposition. — Locke  on  Human  Under- 
sianding,  book  4,  ch.  19.  Freemasons  travel  in  search  of  spiritual 
light,  which  can  be  found  only  in  the  East,  from  whence  it  springs; 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  37 

darkness y  that  speak  ye  in  light. — Matt,  x.  27. 
Therefore  whatever  ye  have  spoken  in  darkness 
shall  be  heard  in  the  light;  and  that  which  ye 
have  spoken  in  the  ear  in  closets  shall  be  pro- 
claimed upon  the  house-tops. — Luke  xii.  3. 
Light  is  the  source  of  eternal  truth.  Light  is  life, 
and  life  is  the  light  of  men. — John  i.  4.  And  the 
light  shineth  in  darkness ;  and  the  darkness  com- 
prehended it  not. — John  i.  5.  Who  only  hath 
immortality^  dwelling  in  the  light  which  no  man 
can  approach  unto;  whom  no  man  hath  seen,  nor 
can  see :  to  whom  be  honour  and  power  everlasting. 
Amen. — 1  Tim.  vi.  16.  Light  is  typical  of  the 
glory  of  the  upper  skies,  or  that  brightness 
v/hich  encircles  the  throne  of  Jehovah.  Christ  is 
the  true  light  to  men ;  the  true  light  on  earth ; 
and  the  true  light  in  heaven.  Do  the  brethren 
comprehend  the  meaning  of  being  brought  to  light  ? 
And  God  said  let  there  he  light,  and  there  was  light. ^ 

and  having  attained  its  possession,  they  are  called  the  "  sons  of 
light."  The  light  of  masonry  is  pure,  as  emanating  from  the  source 
of  all  purity  and  perfection ;  and  masons,  remembering  that  they  are 
brought  out.of  darkness  into  light,  are  admonished  to  let  the  light 
which  is  in  them  so  shine  before  all  men,  that  their  good  works  may 
be  seen,  and  the  great  fountain  of  that  light  be  glorified. — Mack.  Lex. 
p.  182. 

*  There  are  two  great  senses  in  which  this  passage  may  be  under- 
stood :  the  one  literal,  the  other  allegorical.    In  ordinary  cases,  we 

D 


38 


ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


How  glorious  is  the  pri^dlege  of  being  brought  to 
light— to  reason — to  hndh — to  ivisdom,  and  love — 
the  love  of  man  and  the  love  of  God!  The  Lord 
walketh  in  the  light  of  eternity — his  own  pure 
Kght.  There  shall  be  no  night  there;  and  they 
need  no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun;  for  the 
Lord  God  giveth  them  light. — Rev.  xxii.  5.  The 
path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  Hght,  that 
shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. — 
Prov.  iv.  18.  The  way  of  the  wicked  is  darkness. 
The  lamp  of  the  wicked  shall  be  put  out.  The 
light  of  the  righteous  rejoiceth. — Frov.  xiii.  9.  Ye 
are  the  light  of  the  world. — Matt.  v.  14.    There  is 

object  to  giving-  a  typical  meaning  to  an  historical  statement,  unless 
on  the  express  warrant  of  other  parts  of  Scripture.  But  though  in 
this  case,  we  have  no  such  warrant,  yet,  forasmuch  as  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  upon  man  is  described  as  the  extracting  a  new  crea- 
tion from  the  ruins  of  the  old,  we  can  hardly  think  that  we  deal 
fancifully  with  Scripture,  if,  in  imitation  of  the  early  writers,  we 
suppose  a  designed  parallel  between  the  natural  and  spiritual  opera- 
tions.—! Mel.  Ser.  p.  365. 

Dr.  Oliver  says,  that  the  word  light  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis 
means  material  light;  but  allegorically  it  referred  to  the  Messiah, 
who  is  hence  called  by  Zechariah  and  St.  Luke,  Oriens,  or  the  East, 
from  whence  light  springeth.  In  a  tropological  sense,  it  signifies 
divine  grace ;  and  analogically,  the  glorious  and  eternal  light  in 
heaven. — 1  01.  Land.  p.  251,  note  49.  It  was  not,  says  Bishop  Hall, 
the  light  of  the  sun,  or  stars,  which  were  not  yet  created  ;  but  a  com- 
mon brightness  only,  to  distinguish  the  time,  and  to  remedy  tha 
former  confused  darkness. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  39 

the  beautiful  light  of  Hope,  burning  by  the  side 
of  those  greater  lights,  Faith  and  Charity,  which 
adorn  the  Christian's  sky  and  radiate  his  path. 
Oil !  how  beautiful  was  that  light  which  succeeded 
the  darkness  which  rested  upon  the  face  of  the 
deep  !  How  great  that  light  which  arose  on  that 
dark  and  gloomy  hour,  in  which  Jesus  died. 
"What  a  glorious  light  of  immortality  illumined 
Joseph's  new  tomb,  when  the  Son  of  Man  came 
forth  from  his  resting-place.  It  radiated  the  tops 
of  the  sacred  mountains,  and  threw  a  brightness 
over  all  the  land  of  Judea.  The  Lord  had  arisen 
from  the  sepulchre  and  fulfilled  the  law. 

Before  a  candidate  for  the  secrets  of  masonry  is 
brought  to  light,  why  is  it  we  pray*  that  he  may 
dedicate  the  temple  of  his  soul  to  God,  and  devote 
his  life  to  the  service  of  his  Divine  Master  ?  It  is 
surely  not  a  vain  and  idle  petition,  signifying 
nothing.  And  how  is  it,  that  by  the  secrets  of  our 
art  he  may  be  better  enabled  to  display  the 
beauties  of  holiness?  Brethren  who  dwell  to- 
gether in  unity,  know  how  good  and  how  pleasant 
it  is  to  trace  out  the  wonderful  things  which  are 
to  be  discerned  in  our  rites,  and  read  those  hiero- 

*  If  I  should  never  pray  to  Him  or  worship  Him  at  all,  such  a  total 
omission  would  be  equivalent  to  this  assertion  :  there  is  no  God  who 
governs  the  world,  to  be  adored. — Wollaston. 


40 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


gljphics  bright,  which  none  but  craftsmen  ever 
saw.  They  can  stand,  in  thought,  on  the  moun- 
tains of  Zion,  where  the  Lord  commanded  the 
blessing,  even  life  for  evermore,  and  look  back 
upon  the  past,  and  forward  to  the  great  future; 
back  upon  Paradise  lost,  and  forward  to  Paradise 
regained. 

We  are  informed  in  our  monitors,  that  the 
lamb-skin  is  a  peculiar  ensign  of  masonry.*  And 
why  is  it  more  honourable  than  the  star  and 
garter?  And  why  ought  every  one  to  wear  it 
with  pleasure  to  himself  and  honour  to  the  fra- 
ternity? Because  it  is  an  emblem  of  innocence, 
and  he  who  wears  it  should  live  unspotted  from 
the  world.  It  is  worn  in  remembrance  of  that 
pure  and  holy  Being,  who  suffered  and  died  for 
our  transgressions.  It  undoubtedly  has  reference 
to  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world.  Our  patron.  Saint  John  the  Baptist, 
spoke  of  "  the  Lamh  of  God''  He  spoke  in  a  meta- 
phorical sense,  and  referred  to  the  Messiah,  as  one 
to  be  delivered  over  to  death — as  a  lamb  to  be 


*  The  white  apron  and  gloves  are  emblematical.  They  are  not 
worn  merely  as  insignia  of  the  order,  hut  as  badges  of  that  innate  in- 
nocence and  purity  of  soul,  which  freemasons  should  always  possess. 
Ahi.  Rez.  p.  150. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  41 

sacrificed  for  the  sins  of  the  world.*  The  prophet 
Isaiah  beheld  afar  off  the  Lamb  that  was  slain, 
and  cried  out :  He  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is 
dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his  mouth. — Isa.  liii.  7. 
The  people  of  God  are  often  typified  in  the  Scrip- 
tures under  the  name  of  sheep,  because  of  their 
mild,  patient,  and  inoffensive  nature.  The  lamb- 
skin, then,  is  an  appropriate  emblem  of  the  inno- 
cence of  Jesus,  and  the  meekness  of  his  followers.-}* 
The  lamb,  too,  is  of  a  social  nature,  and  is  emble- 
matical of  brotherly  love.  It  is  easily  led.  But 
there  are  "lost  sheep'X  spoken  of  in  the  Bible — 
those  which  have  wandered  far  from  their  fold 


*  The  Scripture  account  of  sacrifices  leads  us  to  conclude  that  they 
were  instituted  by  Divine  appointmentj  immediately  after  the  entrance 
of  sin  by  the  fall  of  Adam  and  Eve,  to  be  a  type  or  significant  em- 
blem of  the  great  atonement  or  all-sufficient  sacrifice  of  Christ.  Ac- 
cordingly, we  find  Abel,  Noah,  Abraham,  Job,  and  others,  offering 
sacrifices  in  the  faith  of  the  Messiah  that  v^as  to  be  revealed ;  and  the 
divine  acceptance  of  their  sacrifices  is  particularly  recorded.— 2  Home, 
Intro.  117. 

f  The  sheep,  on  account  of  its  mild,  inoffensive,  and  patient  charac- 
ter, is  used  in  Scripture  to  typify  the  people  of  God. — 2  Pict.  Bid. 
p.  1228. 

it: The  "lost  sheep"  is  a  particularly  appropriate  and  beautiful 
simile,  for  an  erring  human  being  ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  a  strayed 
sheep  never  finds  its  own  way  back. — 2  Pict.  Did.  p.  1228. 


42 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  shepherd.  The  apostles  were  sent  to  the  lost 
sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  Christ  called  his 
own  sheep  by  name  and  leadeth  them  out.  The 
sheep  should  always  listen  to  the  shepherd's  voice,  • 
and  follow  him  and  fear  no  evil.  Jesus  three 
times  bade  Simon  Peter  to  feed  his  sheep.  The 
repetition  of  the  command  is  regarded  as  very 
beautiful  in  the  Greek  dialect.  Jesus  was  called 
the  lamb  of  God,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
spotless  innocence,  but  in  allusion  to  the  lamb 
sacrificed  for  the  Passover — he  being  the  true 
Paschal  Lamb,  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  "  ;  • .    t-  .  .  .  ' 

But  the  lamb-skin  may  be  intended  to  remind 
us  of  one  who  suffered  in  being  slain.  It  speaks  of 
one  that  bled  and  died.  And  "it  behooved  Christ 
to  suffer."  The  Messiah  shall  be  cut  off,  said 
Daniel,  (chap.  ix.  26.)  They  shall  look  on  me, 
whom  they  have  pierced. — Zech.  xii.  10.  Many 
were  the  types  and  prophecies  of  the  sufferings 
Jesus.  The  lamb-skin  is,  then,  not  only  an  em- 
blem of  innocence,  but  an  emblem  of  suffering 
innocence.  It  is  intended  to  remind  us  of  that 
purity  of  life  and  conduct,  which  is  so  essentially 
necessary  to  gain  admission  into  the  celestial  lodge 
%above.  We  should  always  bear  in  affectionate 
remembrance,  that  pure  Lamb  of  God,  whose 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  43 


blood  was  shed  to  save  a  ruined  and  an  apostate 
world.* 

The  working  tools  of  an  Entered  Apprentice 
Mason  are  moral  instruments.  They  are  denomi- 
nated the  twenty-four  inch  guage  and  common 
gavel.  There  is  something  quite  appropriate  in 
presenting  a  young  operative  in  speculative  science 
with  those  necessary  instruments  of  his  profession. 
With  them  he  is  directed  to  commence  his  moral 
work.  If  the  operative  mason,  with  the  twenty- 
four  inch  guage,  lays  off  his  work,  the  free  and 
accepted  Mason  applies  it  to  a  more  noble  purpose, 
that  of  judiciously  dividing  his  time.  It  is  an  in- 
strument divided  into  twenty-four  equal  parts, 
emblematical  of  the  twenty-four  hours  of  the  day  • 
and  which  are  subdivided  into  three  equal  parts, 
whereby  are  found  eight  hours  for  the  service  of 
God,  and  a  distressed  worthy  brother;  eight  fox 


*  Masons,  as  one  of  their  principles,  profess  innocence ;  they  put 
on  the  xvhiie  apparel,  as  an  emblem  of  that  character,  which  bespeaks 
purity  of  soul. — Mi.  Rez,  p.  151.  He  that  overcometh,  the  same 
shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name 
out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father, 
and  before  his  angels. — Rev.  iii.  5.  White  garments  were  not  only 
an  emblem  of  purity,  and  being  in  the  favour  of  God;  but  also,  as 
being  worn  on  festival  occasions,  were  tokens  of  joy  ana  pleasure. 
Hornets  Intro.  Sym.  Index, 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONKY  TO 


our  usual  vocations;  and  eight  for  refreshment 
and  sleep. — AM.  Rez.  p.  146. 

The  common  gavel  is  used  in  a  moral  sense,  for 
the  purpose  of  divesting  our  hearts  and  consciences 
of  the  vices  and  superfluities  of  life;  to  break  off 
the  rough  edges  of  our  evil  dispositions,  the  better 
to  prepare  our  souls  for  the  Master  Builder's  use, 
and  make  them  living  stones  for  that  glorious 
temple,  which  rests  on  the  everlasting  hill  of 
eternity. 

In  these  emblematical  instruments*  will  be 
found  the  first  rule  for  the  government  of  our 
social  and  moral  conduct.  In  masonic  ethics  or 
moral  philosophy,  a  moral  quality  in  human 
action  is  taken  for  granted.  In  directing  the 
Entered  Apprentice  to  divest  his  mind  and  con- 
science of  the  vices  and  superfluities  of  life, 
masonry  draws  a  line  of  distinction  between  good 
and  evil — right  and  wrong.  It  teaches  not  only 
this  distinction,  but  that  the  consequences  of  an 
evil  action  are  very  different  from  those  of  a  good 
action;  for  it  is  requisite  to  prepare  our  souls  as 
living  stones  for  God's  spiritual  building.  In  di- 
recting us  in  the  proper  use  of  the  guage  and 


*  Figurative  language  is  very  common  in  the  Scriptures.  They 
abound  with  the  most  beautiful  imagery.  The  discourses  of  our 
Saviour  are  highly  figurative. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  45 

gavel,  it  is  considered  that  we  are  every  way 
capable  of  perceiving  the  advantages  of  leading  a 
moral  life,  and  taking  the  necessary  means  to 
accomplish  the  end  for  which  we  were  created. 
They  must  be  used  voluntarily  and  understand- 
ingly.  Our  nature  is  full  of  evil  propensities  and 
evil  passions.  But  we  are  all  accountable  beings, 
and  are  bound  to  obey  the  moral  law,  or  suffer  the 
penalties  of  that  law.  Even  long-neglected  con- 
science will  often  admonish  us  of  our  duty  to 
God ;  and  if  we  would  only  listen  to  its  monitorial 
voice,  we  would  endeavour  to  divest  ourselves  of 
those  pollutions  which  must  necessarily  impair  the 
moral  constitution. 

Oh !  how  many  thousands  of  workmen  might 
be  profitably  employed  in  the  vast  quarry  of  our 
ruined  nature !  But  how  many  blocks  of  thought 
are  never  taken  even  from  their  rude  and  natural 
state,  which  might  have  become  polished  ashlars, 
and  been  made  ready  for  the  building — for  that 
house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  hea- 
vens. The  rough  ashlar  is  emblematical  of  our 
condition  by  nature — of  our  rude  and  ruined 
state — which  must  needs  be  polished  and  restored 
through  our  own  endeavours  and  the  blessing  of 
God.  A  perfect  ashlar  is  a  stone  made  ready  by 
the  hands  of  the  workman.     And  thus  we  are 


46  ,        ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

taught  that  every  man  has  it  in  his  power  to 
shape  his  own  destiny,  being  a  free  agent  and  an 
accountable  being. .  By  diligence  and  labour  he 
may  'prepare  himself  for  the  temple  above.  Every 
stone,  before  it  can  be  taken  thither,  and  laid  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  must  be  made  ready. 

Sometimes  the  speculative  Master  is  represented 
as  the  builder  of  a  spiritual  edifice,  and  as  one 
guided  in  his  work  by  the  rules  and  designs  laid 
down  by  the  Supreme  Architect  in  the  great 
books  of  nature  and  revelation,  which  constitute 
our  moral  and  masonic  trestle-board.  How  beau- 
tiful and  consistent  are  all  the  emblems  and  sym- 
bols of  the  Order!  They  all  harmonize  and  agree 
Avith  one  another.  They  conflict  in  nothing. 
They  instruct  us  in  our  social,  moral,  and  reli- 
gious duties.  They  inform  us  of  the  necessity 
and  beauty  of  leading  a  godly,  righteous,  and 
sober  life.  Masonry  has  dedicated  the  Holy 
Bible  to  God.*  It  is  his  inestimable  gift  to  man. 
It  is  the  rule  of  our  faith,  and  the  only  safe  guide 
of  our  conduct.  It  reveals  the  true  religion,  and 
is  the  great  light  which  would  guide  us  to  the  city 
of  our  God. 

One  of  the  symbols  in  the  third  section  of  the 

*  The  Bible  may  be  compared  to  a  temple  of  wisdom,  which 
should  be  dedicated  to  its  author  or  builder,  who  is  God. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  4T 

chart  of  the  Entered  Apprentice,  is  the  Holy  Bible, 
represented  as  being  opened  at  the  133d  psalm  of 
David,  with  the  square  and  compasses  resting 
thereon.  That  psalm  contains  a  song  of  the  de- 
grees of  David,  and  tells  us  of  the  benefit  to  be 
derived  from  the  communion  of  saints.  It  is  the 
adopted  song  of  the  Mason.  It  often  sounded 
along  the  arches  of  the  terrestrial  sanctuary.  Its 
sweet  cadences  and  swelling  notes  made  glad  the 
city  of  the  Lord,  and  resounded  among  the  hills  of 
Judea.  It  is  still  heard  in  our  lodges:  "Behold, 
how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to 
dwell  together  in  unity !  It  is  like  the  precious 
ointment  upon  the  head,  that  ran  down  upon  the 
beard,  even  Aaron's  beard :  that  went  down  to  the 
skirts  of  his  garments ;  as  the  dew  of  Hermon,  and 
as  the  dew  that  descended  upon  the  mountains  of 
Zion  :*  for  there  the  Lord  commanded  the  blessing, 
even  life  for  evermore."  And  why  is  this  psalm 
rehearsed  during  the  ceremony  of  initiation  ?  To 
answer  this  question,  we  should  refer  to  the  words 
of  the  psalm,  and  ascertain  their  meaning.  We 
are  told  of  the  goodness  and  pleasure  of  those  who 


*  Maundrell,  travelling-  near  Mount  Hermon,  in  the  year  1697, 
says  :  "  We  were  instructed,  by  experience,  what  the  Psalmist  means 
by  the  (tew  of  Hermon,  our  tents  being  as  wet  with  it  as  if  it  had  rained 
all  night. — 2  Home's  Intro,  p.  25,  note  3. 


48 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


dwell  together  in  unitj.  The  words  breathe  into 
our  souls  that  spirit  of  friendship  and  brotherly 
love,  which  unites  us  into  "a  sacred  band  or 
society  of  friends,  among  whom  no  contention 
should  ever  arise,  but  that  noble  contention  of 
who  can  best  work  and  best  agree."  That  psalm 
teaches  us  the  doctrine  of  the  communion  of  spirits, 
and  how  they  dwell  together  in  unity.  It  directs 
us  to  another  and  better  land,  where  saints  and 
angels  live.  It  communicates  the  idea  of  a  spi- 
ritual agency,  or  spiritual  influences— of  the  exist- 
ence of  the  cherubim  and  seraphim.  It  reminds 
us,  too,  of  the  mysterious  unity  of  the  Godhead. 
They  agree.  Three  in  One,  and  One  in  Three. 
There  is  a  sublime  picture  of  unity  drawn  by  the 
inspired  J ob.  He  tells  us  of  a  time  when  the  stars 
sang  together — when  "every  one  of  them  sang, 
and  sang  at  the  same  time;  and  for  the  same 
reason,  and  the  same  song.  There  was  one  heart 
only  in  Heaven,  and  one  voice."  In  another  part 
of  Scripture,  we  read  of  the  harmony  which  reigns 
in  that  holy  land.  An  angel  appeared  to  the 
shepherds  at  Bethlehem,  and  said,  "Behold,  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  for  unto  you  is 
born  this  day  a  Saviour."  Suddenly,  on  the  deli- 
very of  the  message,  "  there  was  with  the  angel  a 
multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,  praising  God." 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  49 

Again,  we  read  of  "the  voice  of  much  people  in 
Heaven,  saying,  Alleluia;"  others  of  the  shining 
ranks  take  up  the  theme,  and  sing  Alleluia,  and 
then  comes  the  swelling  chorus  of  the  skies : 
"Alleluia,  for  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reign- 
etlaJ'^^—Bev.  xxix. 

What  sudden  blaze  of  song 

Spreads  o'er  the  expanse  of  heaven ! 
In  waves  of  light  it  thrills  along, 

Th'  angelic  signal  given —  ^ 
"  Glory  to  God  !"  from  yonder  central  fire 
Flows  out  the  echoing  lay  beyond  the  starry  choir ; 

Like  circles  widening  round 

Upon  a  clear  blue  river, 
Orb  after  orb,  the  wondrous  sound 
Is  echoed  on  for  ever : 
"  Glory  to  God  on  high,  on  earth  be  peace 
And  love  toward  men  of  love — salvation  and  release." 

.  Kehle^s  Christian  Year^  38. 

Unity  of  sentiment  and  feeling  among  the  frater- 
nity  is  essentially  necessary  to  social  and  intellect 
tual  pleasure.  Without  it,  our  institution  would 
not  long  stand ;  but  with  it,  the  edifice  rests  upon 
an  enduring  basis.  There  is  a  spirit  of  union  even 
in  the  signs,  words,  types,  and  emblems  of  the 
Order ;  and  it  diffuses  itself  throughout  our  social 
body,  "  like  the  precious  ointment  upon  the  head, 


7 


*  2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  72. 

E 


50  .  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

that  ran  down  upon  the  beard,  even  Aaron's  beard, 
that  went  down  to  the  skirts  of  his  garments." 

On  the  authority,  then,  of  the  Holy  Bible,  we 
are  assured  that  there  are  pure  and  invisible  agen- 
cies continually  walking  up  and  down  this  ruined 
segment  of  God's  universe.*  Their  quiet  steppings 
are  in  and  about  the  sanctuary  of  the  soul,  and 
their  calls  are  often  responded  to  in  the  deep 
and  low  warnings  of  conscience.  Notwithstanding 
God  has  afforded  a  full  revelation  of  his  mercy, 
and  has  pointed  out  clearly  the  way  that  leads  to 
everlasting  peace,  we  believe  that  he  often  gives 
his  angels  charge  over  us,  and  that  these  heavenly 
visitants  find  great  delight  in  raising  our  minds  to 
the  source  of  truth.  They  would  fix  our  thoughts 
on  things  eternal  and  the  value  of  undying  souls, 
which  may  become  burning  spirits  around  the 
throne,  and  for  ever  dwell  with  them  in  unity. 

If,  then,  the  133d  psalm  of  David  has  become 
embodied  in  our  lectures,  and  forms  an  essential 
part  of  the  Entered  Apprentice's  degree,  it  follows 
that  masonry  recognises  the  doctrine  of  the  com- 
munion of  saints,  and  consequently,  the  existence 
of  immortal  beings.  It  would,  also,  allure  our 
minds  to  the  consideration  of  that  thrice  illustrious 


*  1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  439,  where  this  doctrine  is  ably  sustained. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  51 

destiny,  which  constitutes  the  inheritance  of  the 
righteous,  and  jB.ll  us  with  an  eager  desire  to  par- 
take of  those  pure  enjoyments  in  the  world  of 
happy  spirits.  It  indicates  the  unity  of  that 
bright  companionship  on  high,  and  that  myste- 
rious brotherhood,  who  are  continually  giving 
signs  of  joy  and  toJcens  of  love,  and  who  ever  de- 
light to  pronounce,  in  angelic  accents,  the  name 
of  the  omnific  God.  Then,  how  wisely  would  breth- 
ren act,  were  they  to  reflect  more  on  the  holy 
rites  they  administer,  and  the  solemn  ceremonies 
through  which  they  pass,  in  the  mystic  temple  of 
our  worship ! 

On  the  tracing  board  is  represented  a  mountain, 
on  which  are  grauped  or  assembled  a  mystic  band 
of  nine  faithful  brethren.  Our  globe  presents  an 
undulating  surface,  consisting  of  mountains  and 
valleys.  "There  are  some  mountains,"  says  the 
eloquent  Headley,  "standing  on  this  sphere  of 
ours,  that  seem  almost  conscious  beings;  and  if 
they  would  but  speak  and  tell  what  they  have 
seen  and  felt,  the  traveller  who  pauses  at  their 
base  would  tremble  with  awe  and  alarm."  And 
there  are  some  mountains,  which  are  consecrated 
in  the  traditional  annals  of  the  fraternity  of 
Masons,  and  which  will  claim  our  special  notice, 
when  we  come  to  speak  of  those  strange  scenes 


52 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


which  were  enacted  in  and  about  Jerusalem.  For 
some  wise,  but  inscrutable  reason^  the  Almighty 
selected  the  summits  of  mountains*  for  the  grand- 
est displays  of  his  mercy  and  power.  On  Sinai 
he  thundered  the  law.  The  prophet  Isaiah  de- 
clared, that  it  should  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days, 
that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be  es- 
tablished in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be 
exalted  above  the  hills ;  and  all  nations  shall  flow 
unto  it. — Isa.  ii.  2.  Again :  they  shall  not  hurt 
in  all  my  holy  mountain. — ch.  xi.  9.  Here  the 
holy  mountain  evidently  means  the  church  of 
Christ  in  that  coming  day,  "  when  the  earth  shall 
be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord."  The  pro- 
phet Daniel  spoke  of  the  stone  that  smote  the 
image^  and  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled  the 
whole  earth.  It  was  on  Mount  Carmel  that  the 
prophet  Elijah  stood  before  Ahab  and  a  mighty 
congregation  of  men,  and  fearlessly  proclaimed : 
"How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  If 
the  Lord  be  God,  follow  him ;  but  if  Baal,  then 
follow  him."  And  then  was  witnessed  an  awful 
and  grand  display  of  Divine  triumph  over  an  idola- 
trous priesthood ;  and  the  followers  of  Baal  were 


*  The  ancients  celebrated  worship  on  mountains  and  in  groves,  but 
it  was  prohibited  when  worship  became  idolatrous. — Heav.  Arcana, 
2722,  n.    See  also  2  Horneh  Intro.  101. 


NATUKAL  AND  KEVEALED  RELIGION.  53 

overwhelmed  and  utterly  confounded.  Baal  could 
not  answer  the  vain  appeals  and  ceremonies  of  his 
blind  disciples.  But  the  Lord  God  answered  his 
holy  prophet ;  for  the  celestial  fire  descended  and 
consumed  the  burnt  sacrifice,  and  the  wood,  and 
the  stones,  and  the  dust,  and  licked  up  the  water 
that  was  in  the  trench.  And  when  all  the  people 
saw  it,  they  fell  on  their  faces  :  and  they  said,  The 
Lord,  he  is  the  God ;  the  Lord,  he  is  the  God. — 
1  Kings  xviii.  38,  39.  It  was  on  the  brow  of  a 
mount  that  Christ  wept  over  Jerusalem,  and  on  the 
mount  he  delivered  his  memorable  sermon,  which 
shall  live  after  the  hills  are  consumed.  The  judg- 
ment fire  shall  distil  the  curse  from  the  ground. 
Then  the  new  earth  will  appear,  and  the  beautiful 
images  of  that  sermon  will  be  seen  in  all  the  land. 

The  sepulchral  monuments  of  the  great  have 
often  been  erected  on  hills  and  mountains.  The 
ancient  temple  arose,  in  all  its  pride  and  magnifi- 
cence, on  Mount  Moriah,  which  is  an  intrinsic 
part  of  the  Mount  of  Crucifixion.  And  our  most 
interesting  masonic  legends  consist  of  incidents 
which  occurred  on  that  mountain  which  was  bap- 
tized with  the  costliest  blood,  and  fertilized  with 
imperial  gore.  It  stands  shielded,  and,  as  it  were, 
for  ever  protected  by  a  whole  amphitheatre  of 
mountains,  which  rise  up  before  it,  sublimely  typi- 

£2 


54 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 


fying  the  Christian  Church,  which  will  ever  defy 
the  storms  of  persecution  and  tempests,  raised  by 
evil  spirits,  when  they  shall  wander  from  the  land 
of  perdition.  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a 
very  present  help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  not 
we  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and  though 
the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the 
sea. — Ps.  xlvi.  1 — 2. 


LECTURE  III. 


Our  institution  is  said  to  be  supported  by  Wisdom,  Strength,  and 
Beauty.  Its  dimensions  are  unlimited,  and  its  covering  no  less  than 
the  canopy  of  heaven. — AM.  Rez. 

And  he  dreamed,  and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the 
top  of  it  reached  to  heaven :  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  on  it. —  Genesis. 

There  is  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  ground,  but  its  top  reaches  to  the 
summit  of  the  mountain  and  to  the  gate  of  the  city.  Are  you  willing 
to  go  up,  to  leave  the  prison  and  to  seek  the  palace  ? — Melvill. 

'J  he  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness 
of  thy  rising. — Isaiah. 

The  globe  shall  be  canopied  by  its  far-spreading  boughs. — Melvill. 

The  design  of  introducing  scriptural  passages 
is  to  furnish  a  scriptural  defence  of  our  institution, 
by  showing  that  its  language  or  ritual  corresponds 
with  the  revealed  word  of  God.  The  meaning  of 
the  masonic  emblems,  the  Great  Light  so  fully 
explains,  that  we  are  forced  to  believe  that  the 
founders  of  the  Order,  whoever  they  were,  must 
have  been  familiar  with  the  language  and  doc- 

55 


56 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


trines  of  the  Bible.  It  is  confidently  believed, 
that  the  truths  of  free-masonry  will  be  found  to 
harmonize  perfectly  with  those  of  revealed  reli- 
gion. There  is  this  difference  between  them, 
however :  the  word  of  life  teaches  plainly,  what 
free-masonry  often  leaves  to  be  discovered  through 
study  and  investigation.  But  so  remarkable  is 
their  correspondence,  that  it  is  obvious  that  the 
Bible  is  the  source  of  masonic  lore,  or  the  strong 
foundation  on  which  rests  our  moral  edifice,  which 
is  said  to  be  •  supported  by  Wisdom,  Strength,  and 
Beauty. 

.  In  the  language  of  our  monitors,  "  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  there  should  be  wisdom  to  contrive, 
strength  to  support,  and  beauty  to  adorn  all  great 
and  important  undertakings."  And  what  great 
and  important  undertakings  are  here  referred  to? 
We  may  judge  correctly  of  the  force  or  proper 
construction  of  language,  when  it  is  viewed  in 
connection  with  the  subject  matter,  or  in  reference 
to  other  things  of  known  signification  with  which 
it  is  associated.  Were  it  said  that  the  Chris- 
tian church  was  supported  by  wisdom,  strength, 
and  beauty,  there  would  be  an  appositeness  in  the 
remark,  which  would  be  observed  by  every  one. 
For,  what  undertaking  is  so  great  and  so  impor- 
tant, as  that  of  rearing  a  moral  temple  on  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  57 

ruins  of  our  ancient  nature?  What  so  wise  as 
the  plan  of  redemption  ?  What  so  strong  as  its 
firm  foundations;  and  what  so  beautiful  as  the  de- 
sign of  the  building  ?  Its  plan  is,  indeed,  wisdom ; 
its  foundation,  strength;  and  its  superstructure, 
beauty.  The  church  militant  and  the  church 
triumphant  are  both  upheld  and  supported  by  a 
Triune  God. 

It  will  not  appear  difficult  to  determine  the 
symbolical  meaning  of  the  supports  of  a  lodge, 
which  extend  from  east  to  west,  and  between 
north  and  south;  whose  covering  is  no  less  than  a 
clouded  canopy  or  starry-decked  heaven;  whose 
furniture  is  the  Holy  Bible,  square  and  compasses ; 
and  whose  ornaments  are  the  Mosaic  pavement,* 

*  As  the  steps  of  man  are  trod  in  the  various  and  uncertain  inci- 
dents of  life — as  our  days  are  checkered  with  a  strange  contrariety  of 
events — and  our  passage  through  this  existence,  though  sometimes 
attended  with  prosperous  circumstances,  is  often  beset  with  a  multi- 
tude of  evils,  hence  is  the  lodge  furnished  with  Mosaic  work,  to  re- 
mind us  of  the  precariousness  of  our  state  on  earth.  To-day  our  feet 
tread  in  prosperity — to-morrow  we  totter  on  the  uneven  paths  of 
weakness,  temptation,  and  adversity.  Whilst  this  emblem  is  before 
us,  we  are  instructed  to  boast  of  nothing,  to  have  compassion,  and 
give  aid  to  those  who  are  in  adversity;  to  walk  uprightly  and  with 
humility ;  for  such  is  this  existence,  that  there  is  no  station  in  which 
pride  can  be  stably  founded — all  men,  in  birth  and  in  the  grave,  are 
on  a  level.  Whilst  we  tread  on  this  Mosaic  work,  let  our  ideas 
return  to  the  original  which  it  copies ;  and  let  every  Mason  act  as  the 

8 


58  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO  ' 

the  indented  tessel,  and  blazing  star.  The  pillars 
of  Wisdom,  Strength,  and  Beauty  may  be  regarded 
as  being  symbolical  of  the  Divine  attributes.  They 
that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament. — -Dan.  xii.  3.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
wisdom. — Joh  xxviii.  28.  Get  wisdom,  get  un- 
derstanding.— Prov.  iv.  5.  How  much  better  is  it 
to  get  wisdom  than  gold. — Prov.  xvi.  16.  He 
that  getteth  wisdom  loveth  his  own  soul. — Prov. 
xix.  8.  Buy  wisdom,  and  instruction,  and  under- 
standing.— Prov.  xxiii.  23.  The  fear  of  the  Lord 
is  the  beginning  of  wisdom. — Prov.  ix.  10.  Fools 
die  for  want  of  wisdom. — Prov.  x.  21.  "Wisdom 
that  is  from  above  is  pure,  peaceable,  and  gentle. 
— Jas.  iii.  17.  St.  John  the  Evangelist  heard  the 
voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne  say- 
ing, with  a  loud  voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain  to  receive  poiver.,  and  riches,  and  wisdom, 
and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory. — Rev.  v.  12. 
The  meaning  of  this  passage  is  plain :  Wisdom  is 
ascribed  to  the  Lamb  of  God  on  account  of  his 
omniscience,  and  strength  is  ascribed  to  him  on 
account  of  his  omnipotence. — Clarices  Com.  Eev.  v. 
12.  Wisdom  from  above  is  that  wisdom  which 
flows  from  God,  or  that  religion  which  was  pur- 


dictates  of  reason  prompt  him,  to  live  in  brotherly  love. — dhi.  Eez, 
p.  147,  note. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  59 


chased  by  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus.  God  is 
wisdom,  for  he  is  omniscient. 

But  God  is  strength  also.  He  is  omnipotent. 
The  Lord  is  my  God,  my  strength,  said  David, 
praising  his  name. — Ps.  xviii.  2.  The  Lord  is 
my  strength  and  my  shield. — Ps.  xxviii.  7.  The 
Lord  is  my  strength  and  song,  and  is  become  my 
salvation. — Ps.  cxviii.  14.  It  is  God  that  girdeth 
me  with  strength. — Ps.  xviii.  32.  The  Lord  is 
the  strength  of  my  life. — Ps.  xxvii.  1.  The  Lord 
will  give  strength  unto  his  people. — Ps.  xxix.  11. 
Ascribe  ye  strength  unto  God. — Ps.  Ixviii.  34. 
God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart. — Ps.  Ixxiii.  26. 
The  Lord  is  clothed  with  strength. — Ps.  xciii.  1. 
Strength  and  Beauts/  are  in  his  sanctuary. — Ps. 
xcvi.  6.  In  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting 
strength. — Isa.  xxvi.  4.  With  him  is  wisdom,  and 
strength. — Joh  xii.  13 — 16.  Then  in  Jah,  Jeho- 
vah, is  everlasting  strength,  power,  omnipotence. 
He  is  the  fountain  of  all  power.  Commentators 
inform  us  that  the  Hebrew  words  translated  ever- 
lasting strength,  mean  in  the  original  text  the  rock 
of  ages,  which  they  say  was  Christ. 

But  the  Lord  is  heauiy.  His  beauty  may  be 
seen  in  all  his  works.  In  the  landscape,  and  on 
the  mountain;  in  the  fields  and  forests;  in  the 
rivers,  on  the  lakes,  and  on  the  seas;  in  the  grass 


60  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

and  flowers;  in  the  firmament,  adorned  with  stars; 
in  the  laws  of  nature;  in  the  deHcate  workman- 
ship of  man;  in  the  machinery  of  God's  moral 
government;  in  his  mercy  and  goodness;  in  the 
plan  of  salvation;  in  his  sufferings;  in  his  death, 
and  resurrection,  and  ascension.  He  sitteth  in 
the  souths  which  is  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne.^ 
Son  of  man,  set  thy  face  toward  the  south,  and 
drop  thi/  ivord  toward  the  south. — Ez.  xx.  46. f 
Then  let  us  worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of 
holiness.  David  desired  to  dwell  in  the  house  of 
the  Lord  all  the  days  of  his  life,  to  behold  the 
leauty  of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  in  his  temple. 
— Ps.  xxvii.  4.  So  shall  the  king  greatly  desire 
thy  leauty :  for  he  is  thy  Lord ;  and  worship  thou 
him. — Ps.  xlv.  11.  He  is  called  the  King  in  his 
beauty. — Isa,  xxxiii.  17.  Then,  the  Lord  is  a 
pillar  of  wisdom,  a  pillar  of  strength,  and  a  pillar 
of  beauty.  He  is  wise,  strong,  and  beautiful.  He 
is  wise,  for  he  is  omniscient ;  he  is  strong,  for  he  is 
omnipotent;  he  is  beautiful,  for  he  is  omnipresent 
in  mercy,  goodness,  and  truth. 

*  There  were  three  words  in  the  Hebrew  used  to  signify  south. 
One  of  these  words  literally  meant,  "  in  the  presence  of,"  and  one 
signified  that  which  lies  to  the  right  hand.  The  meaning  of  the 
other  is  uncertain, — Eccl,  Did.  tit.  South. 

f  Judaea  lay  to  the  south  of  Chaldaea,  where  the  prophet  Ezekiel 
stood. — 2  Home's  Jn^.  General  Index. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  61 

The  pillars  of  wisdom,  strength,  and  beauty  are 
thus  explained  by  an  eminent  Mason  and  divine : 
The  plan  of  Solomon's  temple  was  the  effect  of 
wisdom  derived  from  above ;  the  execution,  the 
application  of  strength;  and  its  curious  and  rich 
workmanship,  was  effected  by  the  application  of 
beauty,  derived  from  a  union  of  two  countries,  in 
the  person  of  an  expert  architect  named  Hiram." 
— 1  01.  Land.  p.  155.  These  pillars,  the  same 
author  thinks,  bear  a  reference  to  an  edifice  of 
much  greater  sublimity  and  beauty  than  the  tem- 
ple. Our  ancient  brethren  illustrated  these  pillars 
in  the  following  manner :  The  mighty  pillars  on 
which  masonry  is  founded,  are  those  whose  base 
is  wisdom,  whose  shaft  is  strength,  and  whose 
chapiter  is  heauty.  The  wisdom  is  that  which  de- 
scends from  above ;  and  is  first  pure,  then  peace- 
able, gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated;  full  of 
mercy  and  good  fruits;  without  partiality,  and 
without  hypocrisy.  The  strength  is  that  which 
depends  on  the  living  God,  who  resisteth  the 
mighty,  and  scattereth  the  proud  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  their  hearts;  who  giveth  us  power  to 
resist  and  to  escape  all  temptations,  and  to  subdue 
all  evil  appetites.  A  strength  which  is  a  refuge  to 
the  distressed.  A  bond  of  unity  and  love  amongst 
brethren,  and  of  peace  and  quiet  in  our  own 


62  /     ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

hearts.  Our  heauty  is  such  as  adorns  all  our  ac- 
tions with  holiness  ;  is  hewn  out  of  the  rock  which 
is  Christ,  and  raised  upright  by  the  plumb  of  the 
gospel;  squared  and  leveled  to  the  horizontal  of 
God's  will  in  the  holy  lodge  of  St.  J ohn ;  and  such 
as  become  the  temple  whose  maker  and  builder  is 
God. — 1  OL  Land.  p.  155,  note  4. 

But  we  would  bid  the  brethren  to  look  on  the 
ciiurch  of  God.  Its  principal  supports  are  wis- 
dom, strength,  and  beauty.  It  was  planned  by 
the  omniscient  Jehovah,  estabhshed  for  ever  by  his 
omnipotent  hand,  and  adorned  with  beauty  by  our 
omnipresent  Saviour,  who  crowned  its  pillars  with 
emblems  of  uniti/,  peace,  and  plenty.  The  church 
is  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  Jesus  is  the  builder. 
The  Almighty  determined  in  a  council  of  the 
Trinity  that  his  only  begotten  Son  should  be  the 
builder,  and  bear  the  glory.  There  is  wisdom, 
strength,  and  beauty  in  its  wonderful  proportions. 
And  it  will  endure  for  ever.  It  is  a  spiritual,  and, 
therefore,  an  immortal  edifice.  How  strong  its 
foundation,  how  wise  its  plan,  how  beautiful  the 
church  of  the  first-born  !*    We  survey  the  material 


*  Does  beauty  make  a  building  glorious,  a  noble  plan  and  excellent 
workmanship?  O  what  so  beautiful  as  the  church  of  the  first-born! 
What  so  perfect  as  its  salvation  and  happiness  ?    2  Brad.  Ser,  p.  265 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  63 

universe  of  God,  and  behold  its  wisdom ;  we  gaze 
on  the  splendid  canopy  of  the  heavens,  which  is 
strong  and  lofty;  on  the  firmament,  that  azure 
roof  of  the  temple  of  nature,  made  beautiful  with 
suns  and  stars ;  but  the  church  of  our  Lord  and 
Master  is  more  glorious  in  wisdom,  and  more  ex- 
cellent in  strength  and  beauty. 

The  universality  of  masonry  should  remind  us 
of  that  time  when  prophecy  will  be  fulfilled,  and 
all  shall  know  God,  from  the  least  even  unto  the 
greatest.  As  in  every  clime  Free  Masons  may  be 
found,  so  in  every  land  will  the  song  of  redemp- 
tion be  heard.  Look  on  that  clouded  canopy, 
adorned  with  a  fret-work  of  mystic  stars,  where  we 
are  told  all  good  Masons  expect  to  arrive  at 
last,  by  the  aid  of  the  theological  ladder,*  which 

D''Oyly  ^  Manfs  Com.  Zech.  vi.  13;  1  Cor.  iii.  16;  2  Cor.  vi.  16; 
1  Pet.  ii.  5. 

*  There  is  a  real  visible  ladder,  said  Hume,  whose  foot,  though 
placed  on  the  earth  among  the  lowest  of  the  creation,  yet  leads  us,  by 
steps,  in  contemplation  of  created  things,  up  to  God,  the  invisible 
creator  of  all  things. — Vide  1  01.  Land.  273,  note.  The  rounds  of 
the  masonic  ladder  are  named,  and  they  are  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity  : 
because  masonry  is  founded  upon  faith  in  God,  hope  of  immortality, 
and  charity  to  all  mankind.  But  of  these  the  greatest  is  charity  ;  for 
faith  ends  in  sight,  hope  terminates  in  fruition,  but  charity  extends 
beyond  the  grave.  It  is  by  the  practice  of  these  virtues,  that  the 
Mason  expects  to  find  access  to  Him  who  is  the  subject  of  faith,  the 
object  of  hope,  and  the  eternal  fountain  of  charity. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  150. 


64 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Jacob  in  his  vision  saw,  reaching  from  earth  to 
heaven.  The  rounds  of  that  ladder  are  called 
Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity,  to  which  we  must  cling 
tenaciously,  if  we  would  reach  the  skies.  The 
Mason  is  taught  to  have  faith  in  God,  hope  in  im- 
mortality, and  charity  for  all  mankind.  Let  the 
eye  rest  on  the  tracing-board  of  the  degree  of  En- 
tered Apprentice,  and  there  will  be  seen  an  emblem 
of  Jacob's  ladder  resting  on  the  hrow  of  a  mount 
and  extending  to  heaven.  If  it  be  emblematical 
of  that  which  Jacob  in  his  vision  beheld,  whatever 
will  be  found  typical  in  Jacob's  dream  will  be  also 
found  in  the  emblematical  ladder.  And  he 
dreamed,  and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth, 
and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven :  and  behold 
the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  on  it. 
And  Jacob  awaked  out  of  his  sleep,  and  he  said. 
Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place;  and  I  knew  it 
not.  And  he  was  afraid,  and  said.  How  dreadful 
is  this  place!  this  is  none  other  but  the  house  of 
God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven.* — Gen.  xxviii. 
12,  16,  17. 


*  The  vision  of  Jacob  has  afforded  a  variety  of  notions  in  regard  to 
its  signification.  Dr.  Clarke  thought  that  its  primary  design  was  to 
point  out  the  providence  of  God;  secondly,  the  intercourse  between 
heaven  and  earth,  and  the  connection  of  both  worlds,  by  the  means  of 
angelic  ministry ;  thirdly,  it  was  probably  a  type  of  Christ,  in  whom 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  65 

It  is  important  to  bear  particularly  in  mind  the 
great  fact  connected  with  the  life  and  history  of 
Jacob.  It  constitutes  an  essential  link  in  the  chain 
of  testimony.  He  was  the  depositary  of  the  hea- 
venly promises,  and  through  him  was  the  gene- 
alogy of  the  Messiah  to  be  traced :  "  In  thee  and 
in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  From  his  loins  was  to  spring  a  great  and 
merciful  Deliverer.  We  are  then  prepared  to  con- 
sider of  the  nature  of  the  vision.  We  cannot  ques- 
tion its  reality.  The  fact  is  taken  for  granted. 
And  why  did  God  visit  the  wanderer  in  his  sleep  ? 
Why  disturb  the  repose  of  his  wearied  limbs  ?  The 
answer  wdil  be  found  in  the  object  of  the  vision. 
It  was  emblematic  of  a  great  truth,  which  the 
Almighty  deemed  important  for  Jacob  to  know. 
It  was  a  beautiful,  and,  we  may  also  add,  a  sub- 
lime representation  of  the  communication  which 
w^ould  be  opened  between  earth  and  sky — a  sym- 
bolical revelation  of  the  means  of  salvation,  and  of 
the  providence  of  God.*  And  when  w^e  observe, 
says  an,  eminent  scholar  and  divine,  that  one  great 
object  of  the  celestial  manifestation  was  the  renew- 
both  worlds  meet,  and  in  whom  the  Divine  and  human  nature  are  con- 
joined.— Clarke's  Com.  Gen.  xxviii.  12,  and  D''0yly  and  Manfs  Com. 
on  same  verse. 

*  2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  100;  D'Oyly  and  Mant's  Com.  Gen.  xxviii.  12. 


66 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


ing  with  Jacob  the  promise  made  to  Abraham  and 
Isaac,  we  will  be  quite  prepared  to  expect  in  the 
vision  a  revelation  of  the  Messiah  himself.  J acob 
had  just  secured  the  distinction  of  being  the  pro- 
genitor of  Christ ;  and  God  is  about  to  assure  him, 
in  the  words  of  the  original  covenant  with  his 
fathers,  that  in  his  seed  should  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed.  How  natural,  then,  that 
some  intelligence  should  be  communicated  in  re- 
gard of  the  Christ;  so  that  while  the  patriarch 
knew  himself  the  depositary  of  that  grand  ]3romise 
in  which  the  whole  world  had  an  interest,  he 
might  also  know,  so  far  as  consisted  with  an  intro- 
ductory dispensation,  what  the  blessings  were 
which  the  promise  insured. — Mel,  Ser.  p.  284. 
In  this  view,  all  the  authorities  agree.  Then, 
the  ladder  which  Jacob  saw  in  his  vision  was 
typical  of  the  Messiah,  by  and  through  whom 
alone  can  we  ascend  into  glory.*  By  clinging  to 
the  rounds  of  the  ladder,  we  may  climb  to  a  home 
on  high.    The  smiling  virtues  of  the  gospel  are 


*  The  ladder  was  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to 
heaven ;  for  God  was  manifest  in  the  Jiesh,  and  in  Him  dwelt  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.  Nothing  could  be  a  more  expressive 
emblem  of  the  incarnation  and  its  effects.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  grand 
connecting  medium  between  heaven  and  earth,  and  between  God  and 
man. — Clarke's  Com,  Gen.  xxviii.  12. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION. 


67 


faith,*  hope,  and  charity.  Without  these,  no  man 
can  be  called  a  true  Christian.  Without  them, 
he  has  no  well-founded  assurance  of  being  finally 
saved. 

It  has  been  thought,  and  very  reasonably,  too, 
that  Christ  referred  to  the  ladder  of  J acob  in  the 
conversation  he  held  with  Nathanaehf  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  hereafter  you  shall  see 
heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  man."  "  Here,"  says 
Melvill,  "  the  Redeemer  appears  to  identify  him- 
self, as  the  Son  of  man,  with  the  ladder  :  the  angels 
are  to  ascend  and  descend  on  the  one  even  as  they 
did  on  the  other."  Then,  it  appears  that  Jacob's 
ladder  symbolically  conveyed  the  idea  of  a  coming 
Saviour,  and  the  rounds  of  the  ladder  the  means 
by  which  a  brilliant  intercourse  is  kept  up  between 
earth  and  heaven.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that 
the  revelations  which  the  Almighty  made  of  him- 
self or  his  purposes  to  our  ancient  fathers,  were 
intended  not  only  for  them,  but  for  all  generations. 
Did  he  give  the  law  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai, 
amidst  the  confused  noise  of  the  elements  ?  For 


*  In  many  of  the  transatlantic  lodges,  faith  is  represented  by  an 
emblem  of  a  cross,  or  the  form  of  a  female  bearing  the  same  emblem. 

t  Vide  1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  280,  Clarke's  Com.,  and  D'Oyly  and  Mant's 
Com.  Gen.  xxviii.  12. 


.68 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


posterity  were  the  tables  of  tlie  law  prepared,  and 
the  commandments  promulged  amid  the  thunders 
of  Sinai.  Did  Jehovah  descend  into  the  olden 
temple  and  dwell  beneath  the  wings  of  the 
cherubim?  For  us  did  the  Divine  Presence  rest 
on  the  mercy-seat.  The  All-seeing  Eye  of  God, 
which  looked  down  upon  the  exile  reposing  on  a 
rock,  was  at  the  same  moment  fixed  upon  the 
solitary  village  of  Bethlehem  and  the  young  child 
sleeping  in  the  manger,  "who  was  to  reign  over 
the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever."  The  Almighty  had 
already  commissioned  the  angel  to  deliver  to  the 
shepherds  abiding  in  the  field  good  tidings  of  great 
joy.  His  eye,  as  he  stood  above  Jacob's  ladder, 
was  fixed  on  a  far-off  age. 

It  is  thought,  therefore,  that  the  emblematical 
ladder,  which  adorns  the  masonic  chart,  commu- 
nicates the  same  useful  lessons,  or  typifies  the 
same  events  as  did  Jacob's  ladder.  It  was  emble- 
matic of  an  all-protecting  Providence  and  our 
great  Deliverer;*   and  teaches  the  thoughtful 

*  This  ladder,  according  to  the  sense  of  the  best  interpreters,  is  an 
emblem  of  Divine  Providence,  which  governs  all  things.  Its  being 
set  up  on  the  earth  denotes  the  steadiness  of  Providence,  which 
nothing  can  unsettle :  its  reaching-  up  to  heaven  signifies  that  it  ex- 
tends over  all  things :  the  several  steps  of  the  ladder  are  the  motion 
and  action  of  Providence :  the  angels  going  up  and  down  show  that 
they  are  the  great  ministers  of  Providence,  always  employed  in  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  69 

craftsman  a  lively  sense  of  God's  eternal  presence. 
May  he  not  well  exclaim,  when  his  eye  rests  upon 
the  masonic  ladder,  in  the  language  of  Jacob: 
/^Surely,  the  Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it 
not." 

The  life  of  a  Mason,  speaking  in  reference  to 
the  ceremonies  through  which  he  passes  and  the 
degrees  he  takes,  is  truly  an  eventful  one.  If  God 
led  Jacob  through  many  trying  and  varied  scenes, 
dark  and  mysterious  are  the  ways  which  lead  to 
the  secret  apartments  of  our  mystic  temple.  If 
Jacob  was  made  afraid,  who  did  not  tremble  when 
he  was  initiated  into  the  solemn  rites  of  our  Order, 
or  was  led  by  a  way  he  knew  not.  But  Jacob 
had  no  cause  to  fear,  nor  has  he  who  enters  into  a 
lodge  in  search  of  its  mysteries.  There  are  none 
to  threaten  or  alarm.  No  dark  revels  or  midnight 
orgies  are  practised  in  a  lodge.  No  words  of 
wrath  or  condemnation  are  heard,  and  no  inquisi- 
torial questions  asked.  The  candidate  hears  of 
peace,  brotherly  love,  relief,  and  truth.  He  is 
taught  to  reverence  God's  holy  name,  and  never 
to  mention  it  but  with  that  reverential  awe  which 
is  due  from  a  creature  to  his  Creator — to  implore 


preservation  of  the  just:  their  ascending',  represents  their  going-  up  to 
receive  Divine  commands ;  and  their  descending,  their  coming-  down 
upon  earth  to  execute  them. — J^Oyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Gen.  xxviii.  12. 


70  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

his  aid  in  all  laudable  undertakings,  and  esteem 
him  as  the  chief  good.  From  God  alone  all 
blessings  flow,  and  through  him  mercy  and  grace 
descend,  like  angels  from  their  home  of  glory. 
We  are  instructed  to  fix  our  hopes  on  high,  and 
rely  on  God;  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  try  to 
climb  the  ladder  whose  "top  is  in  the  utmost 
heavens :  it  rests  on  the  throne  of  Jehovah,  but 
its  foot  stands  on  the  earth;  and  not  in  some 
inaccessible  mountain  of  it,  but  here  by  our 
side."*  The  angels  are  beckoning  us  all  to  our 
native  skies.  Would  that  the  response  could  go 
up :  "  We  come — we  come.  Your  call  shall  he  obeyed. 
Your  voices  animate  us  as  they  steal  down  in  solemn 
and  beautiful  cadence.  We  will  share  with  you  the 
throne  and  the  diadem."-\ 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Mosaic  pavement, 
indented  tessel,{  and  blazing  star,  constitute  the 
furniture  of  a  regular  and  constitutional  lodge. 
The  Mosaic  pavement  is  emblematical  of  human 
life,  checkered  with  good  and  evil.  But  it  pos- 
sesses a  signification  far  more  sacred.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  an  enlightened  English  Mason,  that  it 
referred  to  the  doctrine  of  man's  redemption, 


*  2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  103.  f  1  Mel.  Ser.  284. 

X  The  indented  tessel  is  the  ornamented  border  which  surrounds 
the  Mosaic  pavement. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  144. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  Tl 

which  pervades  the  whole  system  of  masonry: 
We  call  it  Mosaic,  said  he,  because  it  was  used 
by  Moses  in  the  floor  of  the  tabernacle;  but  for 
what  reason  did  Moses  adopt  it  ?  My  opinion  is, 
that  it  was  in  allusion  to  the  redemption  of  the 
Israelites  from  their  bondage,  by  the  pillar  of  fire 
on  the  one  side,  and  the  pillar  of  cloud  on  the 
other;  or,  in  other  words,  light  and  darJcness. 
Light,  and  thereby  salvation  to  the  then  church  of 
God;  and  darkness  and  destruction  to  her 
enemies.  A  beautiful  type  of  the  gospel,  which, 
when  it  appeared  as  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gen- 
tiles, was  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  like  the 
cloudy  pillar;  but  to  believers,  the  now  true 
church  of  Christ,  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation, 
as  was  the  pillar  of  fire.  It  is  but  reasonable, 
then,  to  suppose,  that  Moses  adopted  the  check- 
ered pavement  in  the  tabernacle  with  the  same 
view  that  Solomon  adopted  the  two  pillars  in  the 
porchway  of  the  temple,  as  a  memorial  to  the 
children  of  Israel  of  the  happy  deliverance  of  their 
forefathers  from  Egyptian  bondage  by  the  mem- 
orable pillar  of  fire  and  cloud,  or  light  and  dark- 
ness; which  was  evidently  a  type  of  human 
redemption  through  that  Being  who  had  two 
natures,  Divine  and  human,  as  opposite  as  the 


72    ^     '  AJTALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

light  and  darkness  of  the  Mosaic  pavement. — 
2  01.  Land.  p.  155,  note  40. 

This  pavement,  we  are  informed,  is  a  represen- 
tation of  the  ground  floor  of  king  Solomon's  temple  5 
the  indented  tessel,  that  beautiful  tesselated 
border  which  surrounded  it;  and  the  Hazing  star 
in  the  centre  is  commemorative  of  the  star  which 
appeared  to  guide  the  wise  men  of  the  East  to  the 
place  of  our  Saviour's  nativity.*  "  Here,  then,  is 
a  clear  recognition  by  Christian  Masons  of  that 
Divine  Being^  by  and  through  whom  we  can  alone 
hope  for  eternal  life  and  light.  Since  the  days  of 
the  Messiah,  the  emblematical  character  of  the 
blazing  star  has  been  clearly  perceived  and  fully 
recognised.  Genuine  masonry  has  at  no  time 
taught  any  false  doctrine.    The  tradition  of  the 

*  The  star  in  the  East  some  have  affirmed  to  have  been  of  the  same 
nature  with  those  that  have  their  proper  place  and  motion  in  the 
celestial  orbs;  but  although  that  omnipotent  God,  that  made  the  sun 
stand  still  at  one  time  and  go  back  at  another,  cannot  be  denied  to 
have  been  able  to  have  commanded  any  of  the  stars  upon  such  a 
message  and  employment,  yet  that  he  actually  did  so,  is  not  necessary 
for  us  here  to  assert,  there  being  otherwise  sufficient  reasons  to  per- 
suade us  that  this  was  not  a  real  star  of  the  same  kind  with  those 
heavenly  bodies,  but  only  a  bright  meteor,  formed  by  the  immediate 
power  of  God  into  the  resemblance  and  similitude  of  a  star,  and  so  by 
a  singular  act  of  his  providence,  used  and  directed  for  the  great  pur- 
pose of  heralding  the  Messiah. — South'' s  Ser.  vol.  4,  p.  387;  1  Brad. 
Ser.  p.  173. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  73 

Order  is  a  pure  channel  of  communication.  Ma- 
sonic knowledge  is  transmitted  orally  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  Our  landmarks  are  those  of 
truth.  The  waves  of  time  can  never  efface  them. 
The  rains  may  descend,  and  the  floods  beat  upon 
them,  but  they  will  only  deepen  the  lines  and 
make  more  visible  the  signs  and  tokens  of  wisdom. 
As  ages  roll  on,  and  the  nearer  the  fulness  of 
time  approaches,  the  truth  will  become  more 
distinct,  and  men  will  more  willingly  acknowledge 
the  sublime  principles  we  teach.  The  time  has 
already  come  when  our  bright  craftsmen  seem 
determined  to  examine  every  landmark  and  tror 
dition,  and  search  for  every  hidden  meaning  in 
the  emblems  of  the  institution.  Many  are  gazing 
on  our  obscure  firmament,  like  some  moral  as- 
tronomers, eager  for  discovery,  and  eyeing  its 
splendid  group  of  stars.  A  misty  cloud  hangs 
about  our  masonic  canopy,  but  there  is  a  star-lit 
rainbow  in  it. 

Moses  has  declared  that  stars,  from  the  very 
earliest  period,  have  been /or  signs  and  for  seasons."^ 
There  are  the  eleven  stars,  which  Joseph  beheld 
in  his  dream.    There  is  the  star  of  wormwood. 

*  There  is  a  tradition  mentioned  by  Plutarch,  that  the  stars  of  Castor 

•and  Pollux  appeared  on  each  side  of  the  helm  of  Lysander's  ship,  when 

he  first  set  out  against  the  Athenians. — 2  Plutarch's  Lives,  p.  334. 
10  G  > 


74  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Stars  are  often  used  as  symbols  of  eminent  per- 
sons :  I  will  give  him  tlie  morning  star. — Rev,  ii. , 
28.  At  the  dawn  of  creation  the  morning  stars 
sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for 
joy. — Joh  xxxviii.  7.  This  transaction  occurred 
in  heaven.  Earth  was  not  the  scene  of  such  hap- 
piness and  joy.  Those  morning  stars  were  proba- 
bly angels,*  and  other  bright  beings  which  existed 
long  before  this  world  was  made,  or  the  Spirit 
brooded  upon  the  waters.  They  dwelt  around 
and  about  the  throne,  before  light  arose  upon  the 
bosom  of  darkness.  They  were  the  sons  of  God, 
and  they  worshipped  him  for  ever.  "VYhat  myriads 
of  stars  and  suns,  angelic  beings,  made  up  the 
bright  hosts  of  heaven,  the  shining  population  of 
the  skies.  How  many  of  those  morning  stars 
sang  for  joy  at  the  creation!  Those  angels  of 
beauty  and  light  beheld  the  great  work  go  on  be- 
neath the  exquisite  skill  and  genius  of  the  Divine 
Architect.  They  were  present  when  its  founda- 
tions were  laid,  and  obtained  an  audience  of  the 
Master's  work. 


*  That  the  morning  stars  meant  holy  angels — See  l^Oyly  and  Manfs 
Com.  Job  xxxviii.  7.  We  read  in  Daniel,  that  they  that  be  wise  shall 
shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever. — ch.  xiii.  3.  St.  Paul 
says,  one  star  difFereth  from  another  star  in  glory.— 1  Cor.  xv,  41. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  75 


Him  all  his  train 
Followed  in  bright  procession,  to  behold 
Creation  and  the  wonders  of  his  might. — Milton. 

They  beheld  it  ascend  in  all  its  beautiful  and 
sublime  proportions.  They  looked  with  admira- 
tion on  its  pillars  of  Wisdom,  Strength,  and 
Beauty.  They  saw  it  completed,  and  holy  were 
their  rejoicings;  for  when  the  head-stone  of  the 
splendid  Temple  was  brought  forth,  all  the  sons  of 
God  shouted  for  joy. 

Masonry  celebrates  the  creation  of  the  world. 
An  account  of  it  is  the  first  piece  of  history  to 
which  the  attention  is  directed.  We  are  reminded 
of  the  verity  of  the  history,  while  a  great  moral 
truth  is  elicited  from  it.  The  Mason  may  dwell 
with  delight  on  that  lovely  creation  which  takes 
place  in  the  new-born  soul,  when  the  Holy  Spirit 
moves  upon  the  depths  of  its  original  pollution. 
Oh !  methinks  there  are  songs  in  heaven  at  such 
new  and  moral  creation — the  new  birth  of  the 
inner  man.  Do  not  saints  and  angels  sing  to- 
gether, and  all  the  sons  of  God  shout  for  joy  over 
a  redeemed  sinner?  Answer  me,  ye  spirits  who 
dwell  in  light  inaccessible!  Shine,  ye  stars  of 
glory  upon  our  benighted  souls !  There  is  a  Star 
of  stars !    It  is  a  Star  in  the  East,  which  will  lead 


76 


ANALOGY  OF  MASOXRT  TO 


US  to  the  garden  and  to  the  temple.  It  is  the  Star 
of  Bethlehem — our  blazing  star — the  Star  of  Jesus. 
It  shines  in  the  midst  of  the  Mosaic  pavement — 
in  the  midst  of  human  life,  checkered  as  that  life 
is  with  good  and  evil.  It  is  an  emblem  of  mercy. 
It  has  shone  down  on  all  time  and  all  generations  : 
And,  lo,  the  star,  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went 
before  them,  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the 
young  child  was. — JIatt.  ii.  9.  It  was  the  same 
star  which  was  spoken  of  by  Balaam  the  prophet : 

"There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob 
And  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel."* 

And  the  star  which  adorns  our  moral  edifice  is 
emblematical  of  that  star.  And  would  it  not  be 
tcise  in  us  to  be  guided  by  its  light  ?  It  goes  be- 
fore us.  It  is  a  prophetic  star.  It  points  to  a 
strange  and  mysterious  event,  which  is  revealed 
in  the  third  degree.    The  Entered  Apprentice 


*  A  star  shone  in  heaven,  above  all  other  stars  ;  and  its  light  was 
incomprehensible ;  and  its  novelty  struck  terror.    All  the  rest  of  the 
stars,  with  the  sun  and  moon,  were  the  chorus  of  this  star ;  and  that 
sent  forth  its  light  above  all.    And  there  was  trouble  when  this 
^  novelty  came,  so  unlike  to  all  the  others.    Hence  all  (the  power  of) 

magic  was  destroyed  :  ignorance  was  taken  away ;  the  old  kingdom 
was  abolished  ;  God  being  manifest  in  the  form  of  a  man,  for  the  re- 
newal of  eternal  life.  Thence  began  what  God  had  prepared. — Epist, 
of  Ignatius,  see  Clem.  Epist.  p.  64. 


4 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  77 

will  see  it  again  in  the  holy  of  holies.  '^^It  stood 
over  where  the  young  child  was!^  Who  can  doubt 
the  meaning  of  this  masonic  emblem  ?  It  casts  its 
mild  and  gentle  light  over  every  apartment  of  the 
building.  It  will  bring  light  out  of  darkness ;  but 
we  must  not  forget  that  the  Messiah  came  first  to 
his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not.  He  was 
promised  to  the  Gentiles  long  anterior  to  his 
coming.  The  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light, 
and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising. — Isa. 
Ix.  3. 

Have  we  nothing  here  for  serious  thought  and 
contemplation?  We  may  derive  profitable  in- 
struction from  the  confidence  and  faith  of  those 
astronomers— wise  men  of  the  East* — which 
journeyed  to  the  city  of  David.  We  may  admire 
their  moral  greatness  and  sublime  courage.  Why 
did  they  visit  the  manger?  When  they  arrived 
at  the  consecrated  spot,  they  said :  "  We  are  come 
to  tuorship  him.''  Where  is  our  faith?  Do  we 
trust  in  God?    Have  we  hope  in  immortality? 

*  Magi  was  the  appellation  given  among  the  Persians  to  priests, 
wise  men,  philosophers,  and  others,  who  devoted  themselves  to  the 
study  of  the  moral  and  physical  sciences,  and  who  particularly  culti- 
vated astrology  and  medicine.  They  enjoyed  the  highest  considera- 
tion. The  wise  men  from  the  East,  who  came  to  worship  the  infant 
Messiah,  were  philosophers  of  this  description. — 2  Horne''s  Intro. 
Hist.  In.  435. 

g2 


78 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Charity  for  all  mankind?  Do  we  believe  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  Holy  Bible  ?  They  are  the  doc- 
trines of  our  Order.  If  we  reject  them,  we  will 
repudiate  our  ancient  institution.  "We  may 
destroy  the  edifice,  as  some  monument  of  ancient 
folly,  and  on  its  ruins  never  build  again.  But  let 
us  pause  and  consider.  It  is  the  work  of  master 
spirits.  It  is  a  splendid  monument  of  wisdom, 
and  rests  emphatically  on  the  mount  of  vision. 

We  may  look  again  on  our  clouded  canopy,  and 
that  mount  on  which  rests,  emblematically,  J acob's 
ladder.  We  perceive  a  rude  altar  represented  on 
the  mount.  It  may  refer  to  the  altar  which  Jacob 
set  up  at  Bethel,  and  on  which  he  reposed  when 
he  had  his  vision,  that  altar  from  which  he  looked 
up  and  saw  the  stars  shining  out  and  the  angels 
ascending  and  descending  on  the  ladder. 

And  why  is  our  moral  firmament  clouded? 
Why  is  it  not  a  clear  and  bright  canopy  ?  Why 
does  the  top  of  the  ladder  seemingly  penetrate  the 
clouds,  beyond  which  are  supposed  to  glitter  num- 
berless stars,  though  the  mystic  seven  are  only 
visible?  The  whole  scenery  represented  is  of  a 
typical  character.  The  revelation  is,  however, 
darli:  and  symbolical.  The  top  of  the  ladder  is  lost 
in  the  clouds.  There  were  rays  of  truth — scintil- 
lations of  wisdom — but  the  brightness  of  the  new 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  79 


dispensation  will  illumine  the  firmament  and  dis- 
pel the  clouds.* 

On  the  left  of  the  foot  of  the  ladder  may  be 
observed  a  print  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  perhaps  in- 
tended to  represent  the  trunk  of  the  olive,  with 
the  branch  of  the  wild  olive  engrafted  in  it :  And 
if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off,  and  thou, 
being  a  wild  olive  tree,  wert  graffed  in  among 
them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and 
fatness  of  the  olive  tree,  boast  not  against  the 
branches.f — Rom.  xi.  17.  The  old  branches  are 
all  broken  off,  but  the  natural  branches,  we  are 
assured,  will  be  again  grafted  into  the  parent  stock, 
and  then  the  tree  shall  grow  and  flourish  again, 
and  its  boughs  will  overshadow  the  whole  earth. 

We  are  informed  that  there  were  figures  of 
olive  trees  in  the  temple,  and  that  the  door-posts, 

*  The  learned  brother  Hutchinson  thought  that  the  degree  of  E.  A. 
was  symbolical  of  the  first  knowledge  of  the  God  of  nature  in  the 
earliest  ages  of  man,  or,  in  other  words,  of  the  patriarchal  dispensa- 
tion.— Mas.  Lib.  p.  180. 

f  The  branches  which  were  broken  off  are  emblematical  of  the 
nation  of  the  Jews,  who  have  wandered  far  from  their  ancient  home— 
the  land  of  the  holy  sepulchre — and  are  scattered  among  the  nations ; 
they  have  been  cut  off  on  account  of  their  unbelief.  The  wild  olive  is 
an  emblem  of  the  Gentiles,  who  have  been  grafted  among  them,  (that 
is,  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,)  and  with  them  partaken 
of  the  root  and  fatness  of  the  tree — the  spiritual  privileges  of  the  Jew- 
ish nation. 


80 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 


as  well  as  the  images  of  the  cherubim,  were  made 
of  olive  wood.  David  sung  of  the  olive.  In  de- 
scribing a  happy  household,  where  family  devo- 
tions were  daily  offered  up  to  God,  he  says  :  Thy 
wife  shall  be  as  a  fruitful  vine  by  the  sides  of 
thine  house:  thy  children  like  olive  plants  round 
about  thy  table. — Ps.  cxxviii.  3.  The  innocent 
dove,  sent  out  from  Noah's  ark  in  search  of  dry 
land,  returned  from  its  mission  with  an  olive  leaf 
in  its  mouth.  The  olive  branch  is  an  emblem  of 
peace.  David,  in  the  52d  psalm,  breaks  into  the 
following  strain :  But  I  am  like  a  green  olive  tree 
in  the  house  of  God :  I  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God 
for  ever  and  ever.  Oh!  when  the  great  day  of 
wrath  comes — when  there  shall  be  a  war  of  ele- 
ments— may  the  angels  of  the  Lord  wave  over  us 
that  olive  hranch  of  peace  which  grows  on  the  ever- 
lasting mount,  near  the  throne  of  the  Highest. 

There  is  also  represented  on  the  tracing  board, 
a  range  of  holy  mountains,  and  there  too  are  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon,  clad  in  the  emblems  of  immor- 
tality. The  vale  of  Eden  leads  to  the  mountain 
of  the  cedars.  "What  glorious  associations  and  what 
dear  memories  gather,  like  angels,  around  and  about 
us,  when  we  look  through  the  dark  backward  of 
time  to  by-gone  ages,  and  wander,  in  imagination, 
among  the  hills  and  valleys  of  renowned  Judea. 


LECTURE  IV. 


The  Grand  Master,  having  reached  the  east,  strikes  thrice  with  his 
mallet,  and,  after  profound  silence,  dedicates  the  lodge,  "  in  the  name 
of  the  Great  Jehovah,  to  whom  be  all  glory  and  honour." — Mas. 
Library. 

I  have  surely  built  thee  an  house  to  dwell  in,  a  settled  place  for 
thee  to  abide  in  for  ever. — 1  Kings. 

He  took  the  golden  compasses,)  prepared 
In  God's  eternal  store  to  circumscribe 
The  universe  and  all  created  things. — Milton, 

I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye 
gave  me  drink:  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in:  naked,  and  ye 
clothed  me  :  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  mQ.—^Matt. 

Lodges  were  anciently  dedicated  to  king  Solo- 
mon, he  being  the  first  Most  Excellent  Grand 
Master.  Masons  professing  Christianity  dedicate 
their  lodges  to  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  St.  John 
the  Evangelist,  who  were,  as  we  have  been  in- 
formed by  tradition,  eminent  patrons  of  the  craft. 
Since  their  time',  there  is  represented  in  every 
regular  and  well-governed  lodge,  a  certain  point 
vntJiin  a  circle,  embordered  by  two  perpendicular 

11  81 


82 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


linesj  representing  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  St. 
John  the  Evangehst;  and  upon  the  top  rest  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  In  going  round  this  circle  we 
necessarily  touch  upon  these  two  lines,  as  well  as 
the  Holy  Scriptures;  and  while  a  Mason  keeps 
himself  circumscribed  within  their  precepts,  it  is 
impossible  he  should  materially  err. — Cross,  p.  17. 
"We  are  fully  justified  in  the  view  which  we  are 
trying  to  present  of  the  symbols  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Order.  Why  are  lodges  throughout  Chris- 
tendom dedicated  to  our  patron  saints?  They 
are  esteemed  as  beautiful  examples  for  imitation. 
They  are  hallowed  in  our  masonic  annals.  It  is 
an  immemorial  custom  of  the  fraternity  to  cele- 
brate the  anniversaries  of  these  saints.  The  Chris- 
tian era  was  a  propitious  time  to  dedicate  to  them 
our  lodges,  and  there  is  something  exceedingly 
appropriate  in  the  usage,  if  our  views  of  masonry 
be  correct.  How  intimately  connected  are  all  the 
events  of  the  world;  how  wonderfully  allied  the 
ages  which  have  departed;  how  continuous  is  that 
great  father  of  rivers,  flowing  on  to  eternity,  upon 
whose  vast  depths  the  Spirit  of  the  Almighty 
moved  from  the  beginning.  Age  is  connected 
with  age,  century  with  century,  and  event  with 
event.  The  clock  which  strikes  the  knell  of  the 
passing  moment,  announces  the  living  hour.  Each 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  83 

sun  that  sets  gives  assurance  of  the  coming  morn. 
The  present  is  associated  with  the  past;  the  pre- 
sent and  past  with  the  future,  and  the  future  with 
the  great  hereafter.  The  mighty  developments 
of  this  age;  its  lofty  interpositions  of  mind;  the 
/sublime  progress  of  thought,  advancing  with  a 
"dominant  step"  to  the  boundless  regions  of  truth 
and  philosophy,  are  allied  with  other  days,  and 
especially  with  that  period  in  which  our  saints 
lived  and  preached  "the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus." 
Not  only  the  age  in  which  they  taught,  and  the 
country  in  which  they  lived,  with  its  beautiful 
landscape,  but  the  wonders  of  that  age  and  coun- 
try; the  miracles  wrought  by  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles ;  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy ;  the  birth  of  the 
Son  of  Man ;  all  the  days  of  his  holy  pilgrimage ; 
the  doctrines  which  he  taught;  the  object  of  his 
sacred  mission;  his  cross  and  passion,  death  and 
burial,  resurrection  and  ascension,  by  which  was 
consummated  the  amazing  plan  of  redemption, 
rise  up  before  us  with  their  ever-widening  and 
ever-deepening  influences.  We  wander  in  thought 
through  the  deserts  where  "the  Baptist  grew  and 
waxed  strong  in  the  Spirit,  and  where  he  dwelt 
until  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel."  We 
behold  him  in  his  simple  and  rustic  attire,  advance 
from  the  solitude  of  nature,  a  messenger  of  peace, 


84 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


with  glad  tidings  on  his  lips,  and  speaking  in  the 
language  of  authority:  "Eepent  ye,  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  at  hand!"*  So  perfect  was  his 
character,  so  lovely  his  life  and  manners,  that 
"all  men  mused  in  their  hearts  concerning  him, 
whether  he  was  the  Christ."  But  he  was  the 
forerunner  of  Jesus.  Malachi,  the  last  of  the 
prophets  beheld  him  coming.  Isaiah  looked  down 
from  the  heights  of  prophecy,  and  saw  him  ad- 
vancing from  the  vales  of  the  future.  The  spirit 
of  that  ancient  prophet  even  heard  his  voice,  "  cry- 
ing in  the  wilderness.  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord:  make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for 
our  God."  "  Yerily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  among 
them  that  are  born  of  women,  there  hath  not 
arisen  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist."  His 
pure  manners,  his  faithful  reproofs,  his  earnest 


*  The  spirit  of  prophecy  came  upon  John,  when  he  was  about 
thirty  years  of  age :  this  was  the  time  appointed  in  the  law  for  the 
commencement  of  their  ministry,  by  the  priests  and  Levites.  He 
preached  in  the  deserts,  where  the  greatest  multitudes  passed;  he 
wore  a  garment  of  camel's  hair,  the  most  coarse  and  common  gar- 
ment, similar  to  that  worn  by  the  prophets  of  old,  to  express  his 
contempt  for  the  vanities  and  ostentations  of  life.  His  food  was  the 
spontaneous  produce  of  the  country,  showing  his  self-denial,  and  the 
subjection  of  all  his  appetites.  His  days  were  passed  in  the  wilder- 
ness, far  removed  from  the  world,  preparing  and  preaching  the  wav 
of  the  Lord. — Toun.  Notes  on  the  Gospels,  p.  43. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  85 

admonitions,*  and  sublime  teachings,  are  enough 
to  make  us  all  fall  in  love  with  virtue..  He  was 
the  chosen  herald  of  the  mightiest  event  that  ever 
transpired.  Plaving  been  made  acquainted  with 
Jesus  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  bore  testimony  to 
him  as  the  Christ.  Other  prophets  had  testified 
of  the  Lord  before  his  coming.  John  beheld  him 
face  to  face.  The  fathers  in  Israel  looked  with 
the  eye  of  faith  to  a  remote  age  for  our  Redeemer, 
and  saw  him  in  every  type  and  symbol,  in  the 
blood  of  every  sacrifice,  and  in  every  cloud  of 
incense  which  ascended  from  their  altars.  John 
was  familiar  with  his  Master,  and  served  him 
with  all  freedom^  fervency^  and  zeal.  If  other  gifted 
ones  viewed  through  a  spiritual  medium  the  Son 
of  Man  when  he  had  not  yet  appeared  in  the  flesh, 
John,  while  administering  the  holy  rite  of  baptism 
to  the  Divine  Builder,  beheld  the  Holy  Ghost  de- 
scend and  rest  upon  him,  and  heard  a  voice  crying 
from  heaven — This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased.  John  came  preaching  in  that 
voice,  which,  full  many  centuries  before,  had 
sounded  in  the  ears  of  the  prophets;  and  he 


*  All  the  exhortations  of  John  refer  to  the  spiritual  dominion  of  the 

Messiah  over  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  men.    He  never  once 

speaks  of  it  as  a  temporal  or  earthly  power. — Toun.  Notes,  p.  44. 

H 


86 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


pointed  our  fallen  nature  to  the  star-paved  way  to 
paradise.*  But  brief  was  his  sojourn,  and  sunx- 
marj  his  departure.  He  was  cast  by  the  cruel 
and  unjust  Herod  into  prison :  he  had  no  compa- 
nion but  his  God.  To  gratify  revenge  and  a  most 
strange  request,  he  was  sentenced  to  the  block.f 
A  martyr  to  his  faithfulness,  his  immortal  soul 
was  glorified  in  heaven,  ere  his  head  had  rolled 
on  the  ground,  or  was  delivered  to  the  foolish 
damsel  in  a  charger.  The  terrors  of  an  execution 
could  not  shake  the  courage  of  our  saint,  nor 
chains  wear  away  the  elasticity  of  his  noble  spirit, 
about  to  join  the  white-robed  multitude.  After 
the  heat  and  toil  of  the  day,  he  was  called  off 
from  his  station  with  profit  to  himself  and  honour 
to  the  Lord.  His  soul  vacated  its  temple  of  flesh, 
to  be  raised  to  the  sublime  regions  of  truth,  that 
it  might  be  exalted  to  the  mysteries  of  the  God- 


*  The  death  of  John  was  painful,  but  momentary;  it  was  sudden, 
but  it  could  not  find  him  unprepared.  He  had  kept  the  faith,  and 
preserved  a  conscience  void  of  offence.  He  had  done  his  duty,  and 
waited  daily  and  hourly,  we  may  be  sure,  for  his  departure.  He  was 
now,  therefore,  called  off from  his  station  with  honour,  to  quit  the  well 
fought  field  for  the  palace  of  the  Great  King ;  to  refresh  himself  after 
the  dust  and  toil  and  heat  of  the  day,  by  bathing  in  the  fountain  of  life 
and  immortality. — Sears'*  Bible  Biog.  326. 

f  The  Baptist  was  beheaded  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  31, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  87 

head.  It  passed  the  lofty  arches  of  eternity  in 
search  of  the  purity  of  our  first  estate,  and  found 
in  the  sanctuary  above  long  lost  innocence. 

That  lowly  spirit  and  humble  heart,  so  beauti- 
fully depicted  in  our  ritual  adorned  the  life  and 
character  of  the  Baptist.  His  fame  was  very  great, 
but  he  met  all  ranks  and  sects  upon  the  level,  ever 
acting  upon  the  plumb,  and  parting  with  them  on 
the  square.  And  before  entering  upon  his  minis- 
try, he  served  a  proper  time  in  the  forests,  sub- 
duing his  passions  and  improving  himself  in  moral 
masonry.  But  when  he  came  forth  from  solitude, 
where  did  he  announce  the  Redeemer  of  Israel  ? 
On  the  hanks  of  the  River  Jordan.  It  is  the  most 
celebrated  stream  mentioned  in  the  annals  of  the 
fraternity.  It  was  on  the  margin  of  that  river  that 
he  prepared  men  for  the  reception  of  Christ.  They 
must  needs  be  baptized  in  its  waters,  if  they  would 
bathe  in  the  fountain  of  immortality. 

Masonic  tradition,  which  is  considered  a  pure 
channel  of  communication,  informs  us  that  this 
eminent  and  pious  father  was  a  member  of  the 
craft,  or  patron  of  the  Order.  The  fact,  as  trans- 
mitted from  an  unknown  period,  there  seems  to  be 
no  room  to  contradict,  though  many  have  doubted 
its  verity.  The  principles  which  the  Baptist  pro- 
claimed, and  the  truths  he  preached,  constitute  the 


88 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


strong  foundation  on  which  the  masonic  edifice 
rests.  This  we  know.  John  was  the  forerunner 
of  Christ,  and  testified  to  the  Divinity  of  Jesus. 
It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  be  assured  that  he  was  the 
herald  of  salvation,  and  that  the  doctrines  he. 
taught  are  those  which  masonry  elucidates.  In 
the  holy  of  holies  of  our  temple  is  an  ever-present 
Deity.  The  name  of  Jehovah  is  shrined  in  its 
unutterable  language,  and  syllabled  in  the  mysteries 
of  the  sanctuary.  We  believe  that  our  ancient 
brethren  continually  looked  forward  to  the  one 
event  "  which  stands  associated  with  all  that  is 
glorious  in  the  dominion  of  Christianity."  They 
read  and  heard  the  words  of  prophecy,  and  longed 
for  their  fulfilment.  John  beheld  the  light  which 
was  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  which  was  to 
arise  upon  Israel.  He  looked  abroad  upon  the 
moral  firmament  when  the  Sun  of  Kighteousness 
arose  in  the  East  with  healing  in  his  wings.  They 
stood  upon  some  Pisgah  of  Hope,  and  wished  for 
the  milk  and  honey  of  the  promised  land.  John 
stood  upon  the  summit  of  Calvary,  and  from  that 
consecrated  hill,  in  view  of  J erusalem,  he  fixed  his 
gaze  on  the  celestial  city  and  the  holy  mountains. 
They  worshipped  Jehovah.  John  beheld  in  the 
solemn  enactments  and  ceremonies  which  were 
displayed  on  Moriah,  blood-stained  traces  of  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  89 

Saviour  of  the  world.  The  devout  Baptist,  in 
seeing  the  antitype,  could  still  appreciate  the  type. 
In  the  blood  of  the  victim  and  the  incense  of  the 
altar  were  couched  the  mysteries  of  the  temple 
worship.  And  when  our  fatliers  in  Israel  entered 
the  holy  precincts  of  the  sanctuary  and  gazed  on 
its  typical  furniture,  or  saw  the  sheaf  of  the  wave- 
offering,  or  hearkened  to  the  silver  trumps  as  they 
ushered  in  the  jubilee,*  their  souls  were  trans- 
ported to  a  far-off  future,  when  all  that  was  sym- 
bolical should  be  made  manifest  in  the  Lord  our 
Redeemer.  And  thus  we  perceive  that  masonry 
is  for  ever  linked  with  the  past,  and  associated  with 
a  land  of  the  loftiest  and  holiest  recollections.-}* 
^  There  is  no  stronger  proof  that  St.  J ohn  the 
Evangelist  was  a  Free  Mason,  than  we  have  that 
the  Baptist  was  one.  It  is  taken  for  granted  that 
they  both  were  either  members  of  the  institution, 
or  patrons  of  it,  mainly  because  we  are  so  informed 
by  tradition.  Dr.  Oliver  says :  that  Calmet  posi- 
tively asserts  that  the  Evangelist  was  an  Essenean 


*  2  Mel.  Ser.  p.  48. 

f  It  is  called  the  Holy  Land,  because  it  was  chosen  by  God  to  be 
the  immediate  seat  of  his  worship,  and  was  consecrated  by  the  pre- 
sence, actions,  miracles,  discoveries,  and  sufferings  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  and  also,  because  it  was  the  residence  of  the  holy  patriarchs, 

prophets,  and  apostles. — 2  Home's  Intro,  13.  •  '  \- 

,12  h2 


90 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Free  Mason,*  or  belonged  to  a  secret  theological 
society  with  mystic  rites  and  masonic  emblems. 
It  is  also  stated,  (but  with  what  truth  we  cannot 
sa}^,)  that  in  the  time  of  the  Evangelist  Masonry 
declined  for  the  want  of  an  acknowledged  head, 
and  that  the  craft  held  a  meeting  to  take  into 
consideration  their  deplorable  condition.  We  are 
informed  that  they  met  in  the  city  of  Benjamin, 
and  appointed  a  committee  of  seven  to  proceed  to 
Ephesus  and  solicit  St.  John  the  Evangelist  to 
accept  the  office  of  Grand  Master.  The  Saint, 
although  he  was  advanced  in  life,  and  much  occu^ 
pied  in  the  discharge  of  his  ministerial  duties, 
yielded  to  their  solicitations;  and  ever  since  that 
period,  lodges  have  been  dedicated  to  the  Saints 
Jolin.f 

*  The  Essenes  were  a  set  or  class  of  Jews  known  to  exist  in  the 
time  of  our  Saviour.  They  lived  together  and  separated  themselves 
from  the  world,  and  adopted  a  system  of  principles  and  manners  of 
their  own.  Our  knowledge  of  their  belief  and  habits  is  chiefly 
derived  from  tradition. 

j-  From  the  building  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  to  the  Babylonian 
captivity,  lodges  were  dedicated  to  King  Solomon;  and  from  thence 
to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  they  were  dedicated  to  Zerubbabel; 
and  from  that  time  to  the  final  destruction  of  the  temple,  they  were 
dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist.  But  owing  to  the  general  con- 
fusion which  took  place  under  the  reign  of  Titus  Vespasian,  free 
masbnry  fell  much  to  decay.  Most  of  the  lodges  were  broken  up, 
when  it  was  at  length  agreed  upon  by  several  who  convened  for  that 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  91 

If  the  Evangelist  were  a  mason,  he  must  havp 
been  exceedingly  bright,  for  he  was  made  ac- 
quainted with  mdi.vi.yjni/steries.  He  undertook  to 
describe  the  "unutterable  things"  of  heaven,  and 
for  this  purpose  adopted  the  use  of  symholical  or 
figurative  language.  The  Apocalypse,  many 
divines  have  thought,  was  dej^igned  to  supply  the 
place  of  that  continued  succession  of  prophets 
which  demonstrated  the  continued  providence  of 
God  to  the  Jewish  and  the  patriarchal  churches. 

figurative  language  of  this  wonderful  book  has 
never  been  understood,  for  it  contains  the  pro- 
foundest  mysteries;  and  there  is  much  spoken  of 
which  will  only  be  revealed  to  them  who  are 
raised  to  the  world  of  eternal  life.  Much  of  it  is 
the  language  of  prophecy,  referring  to  events, 
some  of  which  it  is  supposed  have  already  hap- 
pened, and  some  which  will  hereafter  occur  on  the 


purpose,  that  a  certain  number  should  be  deputed  to  wait  on  St.  John 
the  Evangelist,  (who  was  then  Bishop  of  Ephesus,)  and  solicit  the 
favour  of  his  patronizing  the  fraternity  by  taking  on  himself  the 
acting  part  of  Grand  Master.  He  returned  for  answer,  that  although 
he  was  then  advanced  in  years,  (being  upwards  of  ninety,)  yet, 
having  been  in  the  early  part  of  his  life  initiated  into  the  society,  and 
always  having  it  much  at  heart,  he  would  cheerfully  comply  with 
their  request.  And  from  that  time  down  to  the  present  day,  lodges 
have  been  dedicated  to  the  Baptist  and  to  the  Evangelist. — dhi.  Rez, 
Scrip.  Illus.  p.  18. 


92 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


ground  floor  of  the  universe ;  while  much  which  is 
written  in  it  is  typical  of  the  glorious  truths  to 
which  the  righteous  will  be  brought  to  light  in 
the  third  heavens.  ,  - 

The  circle,  in  all  ages  has  been  viewed  as  an 
emblem  of  God  and  eternity.  The  Lord  sitteth 
upon  the  circle  of  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants 
thereof  are  as  grasshopper s.-^/^a.  xl.  22.  He 
prepared  the  heavens,  and  set  a  compass  upon  the 
face  of  the  deep. — Prov.  viii.  27.  The  circle  is  a 
wonderful  £gure.  It  has  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  world,  and  puzzled  the  greatest  mathema- 
ticians. While  it  has  challenged  the  profoundest 
study,  it  has  caused  some  very  ingenious  results. 
How  many  have  laboured  to  square  the  circle  or 
find  its  quadrature;  and  how  many,  in  the  pro- 
gress of  their  eager  study  and  calculation,  have 
been  ready  to  cry  out.  Eureka  !^    But  alas  !  their 


*  The  Forty-Seventh  Problem  of  Euclid  was  an  invention  of  our 
ancient  friend  and  brother,  the  great  Pythagoras,  who,  in  his  travels 
through  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe,  was  initiated  into  several  orders  of 
priesthood,  and  raised  to  the  sublime  degree  of  Master  Mason.  This 
wise  philosopher  enriched  his  mind  abundantly  in  a  general  know- 
ledge of  things,  and  more  especially  in  geometry  and  masonry.  He 
drew  out  many  problems  and  theorems,  and  among  the  most  dis- 
tinguished, he  erected  the  forty-seventh  problem  of  Euclid,  which  in 
the  joy  of  his  heart  he  called  Eureka — signifying,  I  have  found  it. 
Brad,  on  Masonry,  p.  98. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  93 

efforts  were  vain.  The  circle  is  a  significant 
emblem  of  Deity.  It  can  never  be  squared.* 
And  God  is  past  finding  out.  Who  by  searching 
can  find  out  God  ?  Who  can  tell  up  the  sum  of 
his  power?  Who  can  calculate  the  strength  of 
the  Almighty's  arm,  which  set  a  compass  upon 
the  face  of  the  deep  ?  He  sitteth  upon  the  circle 
of  the  heavens,  and  with  what  instrument  can  we 
take  his  altitude  ?  His  stoppings  are  in  the 
terrible  march  of  the  earthquake,  and  the  light  of 
his  countenance  is  abroad  in  the  heavens.  We 
may  hear  his  voice  in  the  thunder,  and  perceive  in 
the  lightnings  the  flash  of  his  wrath.  But  what 
is  the  language  of  the  circle  ?  It  tells  us  of  an 
incomprehensible  God ;  the  mysteries  of  eternity ; 
and  the  power  and  love  of  God,  which  are  circular, 
for  they  are  from  everlasting  to  everlasting.  Long 
before  He  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  or 
studded  the  firmament  with  stars.  He  loved  our 
race.  Before  Adam  and  Eve  sprang  from  beneath 
the  touches  of  the  Divine  Artist,  they  and  their 
posterity  were  the  especial  favourites  of  heaven. 


*  The  problem  of  the  quadrature  or  squaring-  of  the  circle,  is  stated 
to  have  been  recently  solved  by  a  citizen  of  the  State  of  New- York. 
We  shall  vrait  for  the  proof  of  such  an  unparalleled  achievement  in 
scienoe.  It  is  also  said,  that  the  discovery  has  shown  that  an 
equilateral  triangle  is  precisely  the  opposite  figure  to  a  square. 


94  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO        -  >' 

Salvation  was  planned  in  the  councils  of  eternity  ; 
and  the  great  design  of  redemption  was  drawn  by 
the  Sovereign  Master  of  the  universe,  on  the 
tracing-board  in  his  own  Holy  of  Holies.  Jesus, 
the  carpenters  son,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  was 
commissioned  to  superintend  the  work,  and  to 
erect  a  temple  of  finished  and  sublime  architecture. 
The  Christian  Mason  delights  to  survey  its  stately 
proportions,  and  wander  in.  thought  through  its 
splendid  apartments.  The  spirit  of  pure  worship 
lingers  about  its  invisible  altars.  Truth,  like 
some  anointed  priest,  is  there  arrayed  in  long  and 
flowing  robes.  There  the  sweet  incense  of  accept- 
able prayer  is  ascending.  Pure  voices  are  "qui- 
ring to  the  young-eyed  cherubim,"  whose  out- 
stretched wings  are  above  the  mercy-seat.  The 
silver  trumps  are  sounding  for  the  general  jubilee. 
And  we  may  behold,  in  fancy,  some  new  fire 
coming  down  from  the  skies  to  consume  the 
offerings  and  sacrifices,  when  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shall  fill  the  house  of  the  Lord;  when  all 
the  earth  shall  worship  and  praise  the  Lord, 
saying,  for  he  is  good ;  for  his  mercy  endureth 
for  ever. — 2  Chron.  vii.  1—3. 

The  office  of  brotherly  love*  is  enforced  in  the 


•  Brotherly  love,  relief,  and  truth  constitute  the  motto  of  our  Order. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  95 

masonic  lectures.  And  whence  came  the  moral 
lesson?  From  the  temple  of  the  skies — from  the 
Holy  of  Holies  of  the  new  Jerusalem.  Brotherly 
love  is  a  Christian  affection.  The  word  brother,  as 
used  in  the  Bible,  has  an  enlarged  signification. 
James  and  Joses,  and  Simon  and  Judas,  are  called 
the  brothers  of  Jesus.  While  the  Lord  hung  upon 
the  cross,  there  stood  by  him  his  mother,  and  his 
mother's  sister,  and  Mary  Magdalene ;  and  when 
Jesus  therefore  saw  his  mother,  and  the  disciple 
standing  by,  whom  he  loved,  he  saith  unto  his 
mother,  Woman,  behold  th?/  son!  Then  saith  he 
to  the  disciple,  Behold  thy  mother !  And  ft'om  that 
hour  that  disciple  took  her  unto  his  own  home. — 
John  xix.  25 — 27. 

Love  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  affections  of 
the  human  heart.*  Who  does  not  love  his  father 
and  mother,  his  brothers  and  sisters?  We  love 
our  children  with  a  love  "  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing." Who  loves  not  the  companion  of  his 
bosom,  the  Eve  of  his  domestic  garden  ?    Will  not 


They  prove  that  a  society  which  could  adopt  them  can  only  be  formed 
on  the  principles  of  virtue. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  36. 

*  To  love,  in  Scripture,  signifies  sometimes  to  adhere,  to  cleave  to, 
2is  in  Genesis  xxxiv^  3  :  2  Pict.  Did.  p.  789.  It  is  the  excellence 
of  the  Christian  system  that  ennobles,  regulates,  and  directs  this  passion 
to  proper  objects,  and  moderates  it  within  due  bounds. — Ibid. 


96  ;     ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

his  soul  cleaVe  unto  her — will  he  not  love  her  and 
speak  kindly  unto  her  ? — Gen.  xxxiv.  3.  And  does 
not  the  upright  Mason  love  virtue  ?  Does  he  not 
love  to  look  upon  those  beautiful  sisters,  which 
adorn  our  chart — Temperance,  Fortitude,  Prudence, 
and  Justice?  In  their  gentle  forms  he  may  read 
the  excellence  of  the  Christian  system.  Charity 
is  love^  and  the  greatest  of  the  Christian  graces. 
And  now  abideth  faith,  hope,  charity,  these  three; 
but  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity. — 1  Cor,  xiii. 
13.  Now  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity- 
out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience,^  and 
of  faith  unfeigned. — 1  Tim.  i.  5.  Though  I  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  and  have 
not  charity,  I  am  become  as  sounding  brass,  or  a 
tinkUng  cymbal. — 1  xiii.  1.  God  is  love.  And 
who  does  not  love  to  dwell  upon  the  beauties  of 
nature  ?  Who  does  not  love  to  listen  to  the  drop- 
pings of  the  sanctuary,  and  the  steppings  of  the 
Great  Spirit;  to  gaze  upon  the  grandeurs  of  the  'unir 
verse,  the  glories  of  the  sun,  and  the  glittering 
troop  ever  marching  in  the  skies.  Nature  loves 
and  praises  God.  Every  flower  smiles  a  fragrant 
God.  Every  garland  crowns  a  God.  The  still 
streams  of  thought  gently  murmur  God.  Imagi- 
nation's rolling  cataracts  thunder  God.  Conscience 
oft,  with  a  trembhng  tongue,  answers  God.  And 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  97 

reason,  from  the  height  of  some  great  argument, 
looks  down  and  responds  Almighty  God.* 

To  relieve  the  distressed  is  a  m6ral  duty  incum- 
bent on  all  men;  but  it  is  one  particularly  en- 
joined on  the  masonic  fraternity.  Tn  a  popular 
sense,  relief  is  denominated  charity.  To  soothe 
the  unhappy,  is  beautiful :  "  Blessed  are  they  that 
mourn,  for  they  shall  be  comforted."  To  restore 
peace  to  the  broken-hearted,  and  bind  up  their 
wounds,  is  the  duty  of  a  Mason  :  "  Blessed  are  the 
merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy."  It  is  our 
duty  to  succour  the  poor  and  needy  :  Thou,  0  God, 
hast  prepared  of  thy  goodness  for  the  poor. — Ps. 
Ixviii.  10.  And  the  poor  shall  never  cease  out  of 
the  land. — Beut.  xv.  11.  The  rich  and  the  poor 
meet  together ;  the  Lord  is  the  maker  of  them  all. 
— Frov.  xxii.  2.  The  poor  have  the  gospel 
preached  to  them. — Matt.  xi.  5.  It  is  heavenly 
food. 

Masonic  charity  is  a  secret,  but  an  active  spirit. 
It  might  be  compared  to  a  stream  flowing  from 
the  fountain  of  a  pure  heart.  It  reaches  the 
wretchedness  and  want  of  all  the  brethren.  Its 
gentle  aid  is  felt  particularly  among  those  of  the 


*  See  lecture  of  the  writer,  published  in  Southern  Reformer,  at  the 
city  of  Jackson. 


98 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


"  mystic  tie,"  or  the  "  favoured  few ;"  for  they  fall 
"directly  within  the  sphere  of  our  good  offices." 
There  are  physical  as  well  as  moral  benefits  in  the 
dispensations  of  charity.  In  giving  aid  and  com- 
fort to  distressed  and  worthy  brethren,  or  their 
widows  and  orphans,  the  benefactors  and  the  re- 
cipients are  benefited.  The  words  "distressed 
and  worthy  brethren"  mean  those  who  are  in 
actual  need  or  physical  want ;  for  any  member  of 
the  craft  who  is  able  to  work  and  will  not,  cannct 
be  considered  an  object  of  charity.*  He  is  un- 
worthy in  the  eye  of  masonry .f  And  such  is  the 
Scripture  doctrine ;  for  we  are  told,  if  a  man  will 
not  work,  neither  shall  he  eat.    Masonry  incul- 


*  The  misplacing  of  a  benefit  is  worse  than  the  not  receiving'  of  it; 
for  the  one  is  another  man's  fault,  but  the  other  is  mine.  The  error 
of  the  giver  does  ofttimes  excuse  the  ingratitude  of  the  receiver ;  for  a 
favour  ill-placed  is  rather  a  profusion  than  a  benefit.  It  is  the  most 
shameful  of  losses,  an  inconsiderate  bounty.  If  we  give  only  to  re- 
ceive, we  lose  the  fairest  objects  of  our  charity — the  absent,  the  sick, 
the  captive,  and  the  needy. — Seneca  on  Benefits. 

f  As  dependence  is  one  of  the  strongest  bonds  of  society,  mankind 
were  made  dependent  on  each  other  for  protection  and  security,  as  they 
thereby  enjoy  better  opportunities  of  fulfilling  the  duties  of  reciprocal 
love  and  friendship.  Thus  was  man  made  for  social  and  active  life, 
and  he  that  will  so  demean  himself,  as  not  to  be  endeavouring  to  add 
to  the  common  stock  of  knowledge  and  understanding,  may  be  deemed 
a  drone  in  the  hive  of  nature,  a  useless  member  of  society,  and  un- 
worthy of  our  protection  as  Masons. — Brad,  on  Masonry,  p.  96. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  99 

cates  industry,  and  teaches  every  man  the 
necessity  of  relying  on  his  individual  exertions  for 
support.  If  a  brother  be  indolent,  he  deserves  re- 
proof, and  it  is  our  duty  to  give  it.  We  are  bound 
to  do  what  sound  morality  requires,  which  is,  "  to 
provide  such  a  person  with  labour,  and  pay  him 
accordingly."  But  in  all  cases  of  sickness  or  other 
afflictions  of  Providence,  the  rules  of  the  Order  re- 
quire us  to  extend  relief;  or  alleviate,  as  far  as  we 
can,  their  physical  condition.  The  benefactors 
and  recipients  are  both  improved.  "  The  Chris- 
tian religion  considers  charity  as  a  means  of  moral 
cultivation,"  Charity  is  a  virtue  which  may  be 
exercised  in  secret,  and  the  acts  of  masonic  benevo- 
lence are  never  made  public. 

But  there  is  another  sense  in  which  we  may  aid 
and  assist  our  brethren.  If  they  are  in  darkness, 
it  is  our  duty  to  furnish  them  with  masonic  and 
moral  instruction.  If  we  see  a  brother  falling  into 
evil  and  wicked  habits,  we  should  give  him  timely 
admonition,  and  keep  him,  if  possible,  from  moral 
ruin,  by  whispering  in  his  ear  good  counsel,  and 
advising  him  upon  the  points  of  fellowship.  We 
should  remonstrate  with  him  face  to  face,  and 
never  talk  evil  of  him  behind  his  back ;  but  visit 
him  and  give  him  all  necessary  instruction ;  and, 
if  wandering  from  the  path  of  rectitude,  inform  him 


100 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


of  his  error,  and  turn  him  from  the  way  of  evil 
and  mischief 

To  be  good  and  true,  is  one  of  the  first  injunc- 
tions of  the  Order.  Truth  is  a  Divine  attribute, 
and  the  foundation  of  every  virtue. — Cross,  p.  18. 
Truth  is  indestructible,  because  eternal.  The 
Christian  church  is  founded  on  truth.  God  is 
truth,  as  well  as  love.  Solomon's  temple  rested 
on  triple  foundations :  so  does  the  masonic  edifice. 
God  is  trvih,  and  he  is  a  Triune  God, 

Let  us,  then,  as  a  band  of  brothers,  be  good  and 
true  to  each  other ;  faithful  to  our  trust,  and  faith- 
ful to  the  confidence  reposed  in  us.  Let  us  all 
work  by  those  designs  which  our  Master  Builder 
in  heaven  has  drawn  for  us ;  and  then  we  will  be 
able  to  present  finished  specimens  of  work,  such  as 
are  needed  for  the  completion  of  the  temple  above. 
And  when  we  come  to  die — when  the  beams  and 
rafters  of  our  earthly  tabernacles  shall  be  torn 
down  by  the  destroyer,  and  the  foundations  of 
nature  give  way — when  dust  shall  return  to  dust, 
ashes  to  ashes — good  angels  will  pass  on  our 
souls,  as  living  stones  made  ready  for  the  house  of 
the  mountain  of  God.  We  should  all  be  pious 
labourers ;  apprentices,  bound  to  learn  the  Chris- 
tian's trade.  The  Bible  is  our  square,  our  com- 
passes, gavel,  and  gauge— level,  trowel,  and  plumb- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  101 

line ;  and  if  we  are  true  to  ourselves  and  our  God, 
our  vrork  will  be  good  work  and  square  work.  The 
earth  is  our  Zarthan  and  Lebanon.  Let  us  dili- 
gently hew  the  living  rock,  and  prepare  our  souls 
to  be  laid  up  in  the  heavenly  temple. 


LECTURE  V. 

Let  thine  eyes  behold  the  things  that  are  equal. — -Psalms, 

How  poor,  how  rich,  how  august, 

How  complicate,  how  wonderful  is  man ! — Young. 

If  he  know  not  the  relations  in  which  he  stands  to  others,  and  have 
not  the  means  of  knowing  them,  he  is  guiltless.  If  he  know  them, 
or  have  the  means  of  knowing  them,  he  is  guilty. — Wayland, 

There  are  emblematical  steps  delineated  on  the  tracing  board. — 
Mi.  Rez. 

The  form  of  a  lodge  is  that  of  an  oUong  square, 
and.  a  lodge  is  usually  situated  due  east  and  west. 
The  sun  rises  in  the  east  and  sets  in  the  west.* 
The  east  has  been  called  the  place  of  light.  The 
garden  planted  eastward  in  Eden  denoted  intelli- 

*  All  knowledge,  all  religion,  and  all  arts  and  sciences  have 
travelled,  according  to  the  course  of  the  sun,  from  east  to  west !  From 
that  quarter  the  Divine  glory  at  first  came ;  and  thence  the  rays  of 
Divine  light  continue  to  diffuse  themselves  over  the  face  of  the  earth. 
From  thence  came  the  Bihle  and  through  that  the  new  covenant.  From 
thence  came  the  prophets,  the  apostles,  and  the  first  missionaries, 
that  brought  the  knowledge  of  God  to  Europe,  to  the  isles  of  the  sea, 
and  to  the  west  first. — Clarke^  Com.  on  Ezekiel,  ch.  43. 

103 


104  AlTALOaY  OP  MASONRY  TO,  . 

gence  and  love.  A  star  in  the  east  heralded  the 
birth  of  the  Messiah.  It  conducted  the  wise  men 
of  the  east  to  the  place  of  his  nativity.  The  Son 
of  man  was  crucified  in  the  east.  Christianity 
arose  in  the  east  and  travelled  to  the  west.  The 
tabernacle  of  Moses  was  an  oblong  square.  It 
was  situated  due  east  and  west.*  So  was  Solo- 
mon's temple.  The  tabernacle  was  surrounded 
by  an  oblong  court.  Its  tent  was  oblong.  An 
east  wind  blew  upon  the  Red  sea  and  divided  its 
waters.  Moriah  was  situated  in  the  east  of  the 
northern  part  of  Zion.  The  brook  of  Cedron  took 
its  rise  not  far  northward  of  Jerusalem,  and 
having  passed  by  that  city,  it  then  takes  an 
eastwardly  direction.  Solomon's  temple  fronted 
to  the  east.  It  is  a  masonic  custom  to  inter  the 
dead  with  their  faces  to  the  east.  They  must 
rise  to  meet  the  Son  of  man  in  his  coming.  The 
Lord  will  appear  in  the  east  with  all  his  holy 
angelsj  when  he  shall  come  to  judge  the  nations; 
and  then  the  reanimated  dust  of  the  sepulchres 
shall  rise  up  and  march  to  the  great  white  throne; 
and  rivers  of  fire  shall  rise  from  the  east  to  west. 
As  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  east,  and 


*  The  tent  itself  was  an  oblong  square,  thirty  cubits  in  length, 
and  ten  in  height  and  breadth.  The  oblong  court  was  an  hundred 
cubits  long  and  fifty  broad. — 2  Home's  Intro,  p.  96. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  105 

shineth  even  unto  the  west;  so  shall  also  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be. — Matt.  xxiv.  27. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  our  Lord,  says  a 
learned  commentator,  in  a  most  particular  manner 
points  out  the  very  march  of  the  Roman  army : 
they  entered  into  Judea  on  the  east,  and  carried 
on  their  conquest  westward.  A  very  gifted  and 
spiritual  man  said,  that  the  east  denotes  the  Lord ; 
charity  from  the  Lord;  a  state  of  tru*th,  and  a 
state  of  love. 

Masonry  regards  all  men  alike.  All  men  are 
brothers.*  All  are  equal,  and  all  immortal.  All 
are  walking  upon  the  common  level  of  time.  All 
journeying  to  the  grave,  or  that  bourne  from 
whence  no  traveller  returns.  All  flesh  of  men 
will  go  down  to  the  dust,  but  arise  again  at  the 
last  day.  We  all  stand  in  need  of  spiritual  com- 
fort and  spiritual  nourishment.  It  is  not  the 
external,  but  internal  qualifications,  which  con- 
stitute the  Christian.  The  genius  of  masonry 
would  commune  with  the  inner  man,  and  hold 


*  Christians  are  denominated  brethren.    I  beseech  you  therefore, 

brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living 

sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 

service. — Rom.  xii.  1.    And  when  we  had  finished  our  course  from 

Tyre,  we  came  to  Ptolemais,  and  saluted  the  brethren,  and  abode  witli 

them  one  day. — Jds  xxi.  7. 
14 


106 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


converse  with  the  spirit.  It  would  illustrate  all 
the  signs  and  tokens  of  mercy,  and  the  sublime 
truths  connected  with  our  immortal  nature.  It 
w^ould  bid  us  work  diligently,  masonically,  faith- 
fully, and  charitably.  It  would  remind  us  of 
corruption,  but  assure  us  of  incorruption.  That, 
this  mortal  shall  put  on  immortality,  then  shall 
be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written, 
Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory. — 1  Cor.  xv.  54. 

Masonry  regards  no  man  on  account  of  his 
wordly  wealth  or  honour.*  The  poor,  as  well  as 
the  rich,  may  knock  at  the  door  of  our  temple, 
and  gain  admission.  All  are  welcome,  if  found 
worthy,  to  receive  light.  This  is  strictly  scriptu- 
ral: Seek  and  ye  shall  find;  ask  and  ye  shall 
receive;  knock  and  the  door  shall  be  opened  unto 
you.  Masonry,  from  her  ample  treasures,  makes 
full  provision  for  the  poor.  And  one  of  the 
objects  of  the  Messiah  was  to  judge  the  poor.  He 
shall  judge  thy  people  with  righteousness,  and  thy 
poor  with  judgment.  He  shall  judge  the  poor  of 
the  people,  he  shall  save  the  children  of  the  needy, 
and  shall  break  in  pieces  the  oppressor. — Ps. 

*  The  level  is  an  emblem  of  equality.  In  the  sight  of  God  all 
men  are  equal;  subject  to  the  same  infirmities;  hastening  to  the 
same  goal ;  and  preparing  to  be  judged  by  the  same  immutable  law. — 
Mack.  Lex»  p.  181. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  107 

Ixxii  2 — 4.  The  poor  and  the  deceitful  man 
meet  together:  the  Lord  lighteneth  both  their 
eyes  -  Prov.  xxix.  13. 

The  art  or  science  of  free  masonry  opens  up  an 
universal  field  for  meditation  and  thought.  There 
is  not  a  sign,  symbol,  token,  word,  or  ceremony, 
vrhich  does  not  afford  some  moral  lesson.  The 
social,  intellectual,  and  religious  advancement  of 
man,  is  its  chief  design.  Man  may  be  said  to  be 
one  of  the  lesser  lights  of  the  Order;  and  his 
wonderful  faculties  of  body  and  soul  are  made  to 
argue  his  lofty  destiny.  The  candle  was  lighted 
at  the  hla^e  of  immortality  which  the  Scriptures 
kindled  in  our  lodges.  And  fire  is  a  symbol  of 
the  Deity.*    Put  out  the  light  of  the  Bible — that 


*  And  the  Lord  went  before  them  by  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to 
lead  them  the  way ;  and  by  night  in  a  pillar  of  fire,  to  give  them 
light. — Exodus  xiii.  21. 

The  Lord  descended  upon  Mount  Sinai  in  fire. — Ih.  xix.  18. 

The  sight  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Israelites 
was  like  a  devouring  fire. — Ih.  xxiv.  17. 

The  Lord  talked  with  Moses  in  the  Mount  out  of  the  midst  of 
fire. — Deut.  v.  4. 

And  the  mountain  burned  with  fire. — lb.  v.  23. 

It  is  said  that  Numa  built  the  temple  of  Vesta  where  the  perpetual 
fire  was  to  be  kept,  in  an  orbicular  form,  not  intending  to  represent  the 
figure  of  the  earth,  but  the  frame  of  the  universe,  in  the  centre  of 
which  the  Pythagoreans  place  the  element  of  fire.  1  Plutarch'' s  Lives, 
p.  146.    Fire  was  one  of  the  elements  of  Druidical  worship. 


108  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

great  light— and  all  the  lesser  lights  will  becpme 
extinguished.- 

"  Put  out  the  light  and  then — put  out  the  light — 

c  *  *  *  *  •   *  .  * 

I  know  not  where  is  that  Promethean  heat 
That  will  that  light  relume." 

Put  out  the  light,  and  all  the  stars  will  fall,  one 
by  one,  from  our  moral  firmament.  The  mystic 
star  in  the  centre  of  the  Mosaic  pavement  will 
disappear  for  ever.  It  will  no  longer  radiate  the 
checkered  scenes  of  life;  no  longer  conduct  our 
thoughts  to  Bethlehem;  or  illuminate  our  way  to 
the  holy  of  holies.  But  the  Bible  is  a  great  and 
shining  light.  It  will  burn  for  ever  and  ever. 
The  breath  of  inspiration  has  kindled  many 
sacred  lights.  The  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared 
unto  Moses  in  a  flame  of  fire. — Ux.  iii.  2.  And 
the  Lord  went  before  our  fathers  in  Israel  in  a 
pillar  of  fire  to  give  them  light. — xiii.  21. 
And  there  came  out  a  fire  from  before  the  Lord, 
and  consumed  upon  the  altar  the  burnt  offer- 
ing and  the  fat:  which  when  all  the  people 
saw,  they  shouted,  and  fell  on  their  faces. — 
Lev.  ix.  24.  At  another  time,  when  our  ancient 
Master,  Solomon,  had  made  an  end  of  praying, 
the  fire  came  down  from  heaven,  and  con- 
sumed the  burnt  ofierings  and  the  sacrifices; 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  109 

and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house  of  the 
Lord.— 2  Chron.  vii.  1.  How  many  lights  are 
burning  upon  and  around  the  altar  of  the  Most 
High !  How  many  lights  has  revelation  kindled 
on  the  earth !  The  heavens  are  shining  with  the 
glorious  manifestations  of  God;  while  rivers  of 
light  flow,  as  it  were,  from  beneath  the  very 
throne  of  Jehovah.  The  tops  of  the  mountains 
shine  with  truth.  Let  the  Great  Light*  burn  on. 
It  shines  brightly  on  our  altars,  and  it  afibrds  such 
a  steady  emission  of  Divine  wisdom,  that  all  may 
see  and  understand  it. 

There  is  a  book  who  runs  may  read, 
\  Which  heavenly  truth  imparts, 

And  all  the  lore  its  scholars  need, 
Pure  eyes  and  Christian  hearts. 

Keble'a  Christ.  Year^  p.  80. 

We  have  said  that  man  is  one  of  the  lights  of 
masonry.  It  is  true.  If  he  be  just  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties,  faithful  in  his  work,  and  dili- 
gent in  polishing  his  soul,  he  will  become,  through 


*  Emphatically,  is  the  Bible  called  the  greater  light  of  masonry ; 

for,  from  the  centre  of  the  lodge,  it  pours  forth  upon  the  east^  the 

west,  and  the  south,)  its  effulgent  rays  of  Divine  truth.    The  Bible  is 

used  among  Masons  as  the  symbol  of  the  will  of  God,  however  it 

may  be  expressed. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  35. 

K 


110  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  righteous  man, 
whose  light  will  shine  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfect  day.  If  Masons  would  only  do  their  duty, 
or  live  up  to  the  doctrines  of  our  institution — the 
doctrines  of  the  Holy  Bible —  a  new  order  .of  things 
would  appear.  Let,  then,  every  one  place  a  senti- 
nel at  the  door  of  his  heart — a  tt/ler  at  the  outer 
avenue  of  the  temple,  to  keep  off  the  cowans  of  our 
corrupted  nature,  and  those  clandestine  passions, 
which  would  intrude  themselves  into  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  soul.  Let  no  thought  pass  or  repass 
without  the  permission  of  enlightened  conscience ; 
let  the  mind  be  always  duli/  and  trul^/  prepared  to 
worship  God,  and  everi/  way  worthy  and  well  quali- 
fied to  enter  into  communion  with  the  Spirit. 
Then  we  may  hope  to  be  invested,  after  death,  with 
the  secrets  of  the  sublime  hereafter;  and  the 
Master  of  the  house  will  bid  us  come  in. 

*'  Oh  ye,  that  in  these  latter  days 

Our  citadel  defend, 
Perchance  for  you,  the  Saviour  said 

I'm  with  you  to  the  end :  ' 
Stand  therefore  girt  about,  and  hold 

Your  burning  lamps  in  hand, 
And  standing,  listen  for  your  Lord^ 

And  till  he  cometh — stand  ! 


♦*  The  gates  of  hell  shall  ne'er  prevail 
Against  our  holy  home, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  Ill 

But,  oh,  be  wakeful  sentinels. 

Until  the  Master  come ! 
The  night  is  spent — but  listen  ye ; 

For  on  its  deepest  calm, 
What  marvel  if  the  cry  be  heard, 

The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  !'* 

Are  you  a  Christian  Mason?  Never  be 
ashamed  to  answer,  I  am.  It  is  a  beautiful  and 
Christian  response.  I  am  is  the  ancient  name 
of  Jehovah.  How  simple  and  how  grand  are  those 
words.  In  the  language  of  a  learned  bishop,  God 
does  not  say,  speaking  in  reference  to  his  people, 
I  am  their  light,  their  life,  their  guide,  their 
strength,  or  tower,  but  only,  /  am.  He  sets,  as  it 
were,  his  hand  to  a  blank,  that  his  people  may 
write  under  it  what  they  please  that  is  good  for 
them.  As  if  he  should  say,  are  they  weak  ?  I 
am  strength.  Are  they  in  trouble  ?  I  am  com- 
fort. Are  they  sick  ?  I  am  health.  Are  they 
dying?  I  am  life.  Have  they  nothing?  I  am 
all  things.  I  am  wisdom  and  power ;  I  am  justice 
and  mercy ;  I  am  grace  and  goodness ;  I  am  glory, 
beauty,  holiness,  eminency,  super-eminency,  per- 
fection, all-sufficiency,  eternity,  Jehovah,  /  am. 
Whatsoever  is  amiable  in  itself,  or  desirable  unto 
them,  that  I  am ;  whatsoever  is  pure  and  holy; 
whatsoever  is  great  or  pleasant;  whatsoever  is 


112 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


good  or  needful  to  make  men  happy,  that  I  am, — 
Bp.  Bev.  Ser.  vol.  iv.  ser.  13. 

.  The  cardinal  virtues*  are  explained  in  the 
degree  of  Entered  Apprentice;  but  it  is  beyond 
the  design  of  our  work  to  enlarge  upon  them,  or 
do  any  thing  more  than  show  whence  they  were 
derived,  or  upon  what  authority  they  have  been 
made  a  part  of  the  masonic  system.  The  practice 
of  temperance,  justice,  prudence,  and  fortitude  is 
forcibly  enjoined  in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. Temperance  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
masonic  virtues.^  It  does  not  merely  mean  the 
restraining  of  our  sensual  appetites  or  physical  en- 

*  The  illustration  of  these  virtues  is  accompanied  with  some  general 
observations  peculiar  to  Masons. — Bradley  on  Masonry,  p.  65. 

f  It  may  be  interesting  to  the  friends  of  the  cause  to  know,  as  a 
mere  matter  of  history,  that  the  first  Temperance  Society  on  record 
was  established  by  the  Free  Masons  of  Italy,  just  a  century  since. 
On  the  28th  of  April,  1748,  Pope  Clement  XII.  issued  his  celebrated 
Bull  forbidding  the  practice  of  Free  Masonry  by  the  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  Many  of  the  Masons  of  Italy  continued, 
however,  to  meet ;  but  for  the  purpose  of  evading  the  temporal  penal- 
ties of  the  Bull,  which  extended  in  some  instances  to  the  infliction  of 
capital  punishment,  they  changed  their  exoteric  name,  and  called 
themselves  Xerophagists.  This  is  a  compound  of  two  Greek  words, 
signifying  "those  who  live  without  drinking."  This  title  they 
selected,  because  they  then  introduced  a  pledge  of  total  abstinence  into 
their  by-laws ;  and  hence  the.  Free  Masons  of  Italy  may  claim  the 
honour  of  having  taken  the  initiatory  step  in  that  great  reformation 
which  has  since  done  so  much  good  to  mankind. — Anon. 


NATUEAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  118 


joyments,  but  it  is  the  keeping,  says  Cicero,  of  our 
words  and  actions  within  the  due  limits  of  order 
and  decency. — Cic.  Off.  b.  1,  s.  5.  Solomon,  than 
whom  no  man  could  better  judge,  spoke  of  this 
virtue  as  necessary  to  control  our  sensual  indul 
gences:  When  thou  sittest  to  eat  with  a  ruler, 
consider  diligently  what  is  before  thee  :  and  put  a 
knife  to  thy  throat,  if  thou  be  a  man  given  to 
appetite.  Be  not  desirous  of  his  dainties  :  for  they 
are  deceitful  meat. — Prov,  xxiii.  1 — 3.  But  we 
should  be  temperate  in  all  things,  if  we  would  ob- 
tain the  mastery  in  all  things.  There  is  no  law 
against  meekness  and  temperance. — Gal.  v.  23. 
A  man  is  temperate,  when  he  is  filled  with  the 
Spirit ;  for,  says  the  Scripture,  be  not  drunk  with 
wine,  wherein  is  excess ;  but  be  filled  with  the 
Spirit. — Eph.  v.  18.  Paul  bid  Titus  to  be  soher,. 
just,  holy.,  temperate ;  holding  fast  the  faithful  word, 
as  he  hath  been  taught. — Titus  i.  8,  9.  All  the 
virtues  are  materially  dependent  on  each  other,  yet 
each  has  its  respective  set  of  duties  arising  from 
it. — Cic.  Off.  b.  1,  s.  5.  Their  observance  is  com- 
manded by  the  Divine  law ;  and  however  success- 
fully we  may  escape  human  punishment  for  their 
violation,  there  is  a  day  of  reckoning  when  we 
must  account  for  both  sins  of  omission  and  com- 
mission. 

15  '  Ka 


114 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Fortitude  is  that  noble  and  steady  purpose  of 
mind,  whereby  we  are  enabled  to  undergo  any 
pain,  peril,  or  danger,  when  prudentially  deemed 
expedient. — Cross  s  Chart,  p.  19.  In  the  language 
of  Cicero,  it  is  that  greatness  and  unshaken  reso- 
lution of  a  truly  brave  and  invincible  mind, 
Patience  is  nearly  allied  to  fortitude.  If  we  are 
faint  in  the  day  of  adversity,  our  strength  is  smaU. 
The  patient  in  spirit  are  better  than  the  proud  in 
spirit. — Eccl.  vii.  8.  We  are  exhorted  to  be 
patient  in  tribulation. — Rom.  xii.  12.  We  have 
all  need  of  patience.  He  possesses  true  fortitude 
who  can  resist  all  temptation  to  do  evil.  That 
mind  is  brave  and  invincible,  that  can  defy  the 
assaults  of  the  tempter  and  his  ingenious  machina- 
tions. He  is  strong  and  magnanimous,  who  can 
overthrow  sin  and  hold  it  up  to  the  derision  of  the 
world.  Sin  is  one  of  the  works  of  the  devil,  and 
so  is  death ;  but  he  that  overcomes  the  first,  will 
prove  victorious  over  the  second.  Death  will  be 
then  deprived  of  its  sting,  and  the  grave  of  its 
victory :  "  And  for  this  purpose  was  the  Son  of 
man  manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works 
of  the  devil."  And  the  man  that  can  successfully 
encounter  the  prince  of  darkness  has  true  Chris- 
tian magnanimity  and  fortitude. 

Prudence  is  that  virtue  which  prompts  us  to 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  115 

inquire  after  truth  in  regard  to  all  things  connected 
with  our  happiness  in  this '  life  and  that  which  is 
to  come.  Such  is  the  idea  communicated  in 
Proverbs  :  Every  prudent  man  dealeth  with  know- 
ledge.— Prov.  xiii.  16.  The  simple  inherit  folly  : 
but  the  prudent  are  crowned  with  knowledge. — r 
Prov.  xiv.  18.  The  wise  in  heart  shall  be  called 
prudent. — Prov.  xvi.  21.  A  prudent  man  always 
looks  ahead.  He  examines  the  ground  on  which 
he  stands ;  he  weighs  his  thoughts ;  ponders  on 
all  his  actions,  and  looks  to  their  probable  conse- 
quences. A  prudent  man  generally  foresees  evil. 
And  wisdom  will  make  men  just.  Justice  does  not 
merely  consist  in  rendering  to  every  one  his  due, 
or  giving  to  every  man  that  which  is  his  own ;  in 
being  faithful  to  all  our  civil  engagements,  or  in 
never  violating  any  of  our  promises.  It  has  a 
higher  and  more  exalted  meaning.  We  are  deeply 
indebted  to  God;  and  we  know  that  we  can  never 
pay  him  what  we  owe.  Christ's  sermon  on  the 
Mount  contains  a  beautiful  definition  of  justice, 
when  viewed  in  connection  with  our  social  rela- 
tions: Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them :  for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets. — Matt, 
vii.  12.  The  Almighty  cannot  pervert  justice. 
It  is  the  duty  of  all  men  to  be  temperate,  patient, 


116  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

prudent,  and  just.  The  Kuler  of  heaven  and  earth 
has  so  commanded,  and  it  is  an  eternal  and  un- 
changeable law.  • 

It  must  be  apparent  to  every  member  of  the 
craft,  that  there  exists  a  preconcerted  connection 
between  all  the  emblems  or  symbols  of  our  Order.* 
The  connection  will  become  still  more  evident  as 
we  progress  in  the  elucidation  of  masonry.  Design 
is  apparent  in  all  our  ceremonies.  Types  may  be 
regarded  as  similitudes  to  some  person,  event,  or 
thing,  which  is  to  occur.  They  prefigure  some- 
thing which  will  transpire;  and  lead  the  mind  to 
contemplate  or  expect  something,  which  will 
happen  in  the  future.  Such  was  the  nature  of 
the  types  of  the  Messiah  and  his  kingdom.  The 
Entered  Apprentice,  when  he  is  initiated,  is  left  in 
a  state  of  expectancy.  A  knowledge  of  the  first 
degree  prepares  him  for  the  reception  of  more  light 
or  information.  A  knowledge  of  the  first  m^^te 
him  ready  for  the  second  degree,  which  will,  by  and 
by,  be  seen  to  be  an  apt  state  of  preparation  for 
the  third  or  sublime  degree  of  a  Master  Mason. 

Typical  or  symbolical  elucidations  will  be  ob- 
served ia  all  the  degrees;  and  the  light  which 


*  The  system  of  masonry  is  arranged  in  lectures,  which  are  divided 
into  sections,  and  the  wK'^le  is  a  regular  system  of  moral  truth  repre- 
sented in  allegory. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  IIT 

they  afford  will  be  concentrated  at  last  in  one 
remarkable  event,  which  event  is  of  itself  a  sub- 
lime type  of  a  more  sublime  and  august  event  or 
transaction,  as  we  expect  to  establish.  Every 
emblem  or  type  of  masonry  finds  its  analogy  in 
the  Bible.  There  are  masonic  steps,  and  they  are 
numbered:  Now  thou  numberest  my  steps,  said 
Job, — xiv.  16.  In  David's  psalm  of  thanksgiving, 
he  sung :  Thou  hast  enlarged  my  steps  under  me, 
that  my  feet  did  not  slip. — Fs,  xviii.  36.  The 
steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord :  and 
he  delighteth  in  his  way. — Ps.  xxxvii.  23. 
None  of  his  steps  shall  slide.  In  the  church's  com- 
plaint, she  is  made  to  sing :  Our  heart  is  not  turned 
back,  neither  have  our  steps  declined  from  thy 
way. — Fb.  xliv.  18.  Order  my  steps  in  thy  word, 
says  the  Psalmist. — cxix.  133.  It  was  a  wise 
saying  of  Solomon :  A  man's  heart  deviseth  his 
way :  but  the  Lord  directeth  his  steps. — Prov. 
xvi.  9.  0  Lord,  I  know  that  the  way  of  man  is 
not  in  himself :  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to 
direct  his  steps. — Jer.  x.  23.  In  Romans,  men- 
tion is  made  of  those  who  walk  in  the  steps  of  the 
faith  of  our  father  Abraham. — Bom.  iv.  12.  And 
Christ  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example  that  we 
should  follow  in  his  steps. — 1  Pet.  ii.  21.  Our 
Saviour,  on  a  memorable  occasion,  said  unto  Peter : 


118  '       ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Follow  06.  These  words,  according  to  the  most 
able  interpreters,  meant  that  Peter  should  not 
merely  emulate  the  virtues  of  Christ,  but  that  he 
should  conform  to  Him  in  the  manner  of  his  death. 
The  disciple,  when  he  was  carried  out  to  be  cru- 
cified, was  girded  about  his  hody^  and  his  hands  were 
stretched  forth. — St.  John  xxi.  18.  If  our  Master 
suffered,  we  must  suffer;  if  he  experienced  trials 
and  temptations,  we  must  also ;  if  he  died,  so  must 
we  die ;  if  his  life  and  death  present  to  our  view  a 
finished  picture  virtue,  fortitude,  nndi  integrity,  un- 
paralleled in  the  history  of  the  universe,  his  ex- 
ample is  indeed  worthy  of  our  imitation ;  and  it  is 
pur  duty  to  follow  his  steps,  as  nearly  as  we  can, 
in  the  way  he  travelled  before  us.  This  we  must 
do  to  gain  admission  into  the  sanctuary,  whither 
he  was  taken.  And  he  who  will  try  to  follow  in 
his  steps  will  find  a  mystery :  We  would  not  that 
any  should  be  ignorant  of  this  mystery. — Rom.  xi. 
25.  He  who  has  the  secret  will  always  keep  it. 
We  read  of  the  preaching  of  Jesus  Christ,  accord- 
ing to  the  revelation  of  the  mystery,  which  was 
kept  secret  since  the  world  began. — Rom.  xvi.  25. 
The  mystery  was  the  truth  of  the  gospel — a  know- 
ledge of  Jesus  Christ— the  preaching  of  Jesus 
Christ,  which  was  not  made  plain  under  the 
patriarchal  or  Levitical  dispensations.   That  which 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  119 


was  only  shadowed  forth  in  the  early  history  of  the 
world  was  hrought  to  light  in  the  gospel ;  and  that 
which  is  typified  in  the  two  first  degrees  of 
masonry  is  made  manifest  or  clear  in  the  third 
degree.  There  is  a  mystery  spoken  of  in  Corin- 
thians: But  we  speak  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a 
mystery^  even  the  hidden  wisdom  which  God  or- 
dained before  the  world  unto  our  glory. — 1  Cor.  ii. 
7.  There  are  stewards^  of  the  mysteries  of  God.— 
1  Cor.  iv.  1.  St.  Paul  spoke  as  though  he  under- 
stood all  mysteries  and  all  knowledge.  He  followed 
in  the  way  of  the  Lord.  He  that  speaketh  in  an  un- 
known tongue,  said  he,  speaketh  not  unto  men,  but 
unto  God.  What  a  beautiful  illustration  of  this 
sentiment  is  found  in  the  Royal  Arch  Degree.  In 
Colossians,  we  are  told  of  the  mystery  which  had 
been  hid  from  ages  and  from  generations,  hut  now  is 
made  manifest  to  the  saints. — -Col.  i.  26.  And  what 
was  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery  among 


*  Steward,  one  who  manages  the  affairs  or  superintends  the  house- 
hold of  another,  as  Eliezer  of  Damascus  did  that  of  Abraham. — Gen. 
XV.  2.  Great  confidence  was  reposed  in  those  who  held  such  an  office  : 
and  hence  St.  Paul  describes  Christian  ministers  as  the  stewards  of 
God  over  his  church  and  family. — 2  Pict.  Did.  1253.  There  are 
certain  officers  of  a  regular  lodge  called  stewards,  in  whom  great  con- 
fidence is  reposed  by  the  brethren,  and  their  duties  are  strictly 
defined.  . 


120 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 


the  Gentiles?  It  is,  Christ  in  you,  the  hope 
of  glory.  There  are  three  things  recorded  in  this 
remarkable  passage :  first,  there  is  the  mystery  of 
Christ  y  then  Christ  is  the  hope  of  glory ;  and  lastly, 
Christ  in  you  is  the  hope  of  glory. 


LECTURE  VL 


The  weight  and  force  of  the  united  testimony  of  numbers,  upon 
abstract  mathematical  principles,  increases  in  a  higher  ratio  than  that 
of  the  mere  number  of  such  witnesses. — Starkie. 

We  know  of  no  scriptural  method  of  addressing  transgressors,  but 
as  free  agents ;  and  we  abjure,  as  unsanctioned  by  the  Bible,  every 
scheme  of  theology  which  would  make  men  nothing  more  than 
machines. — MelvilL  •        '  ^ 

To  make  daily  progress  in  knowledge  and  virtue  is  our  constant 
duty,  and  expressly  required  by  our  general  laws. — Mi.  Rez. 

Despise  not  what  is  wonderful,  when  all  things  are  wonderful 
around  thee. 

From  the  multitude  of  like  effects  thou  sayest,  behold  a  law. 

Tupper. 

The  force  of  moral  testimony*  depends  greatly 
upon  the  number  of  circumstances  and  coinci- 

*  In  courts  of  justice  matters  of  fact  are  proved  by  moral  evidence 
alone ;  by  which  is  meant  not  only  that  kind  of  evidence  which  is 
employed  on  subjects  connected  with  moral  conduct,  but  all  the 
evidence  which  is  not  obtained  either  from  intuition  or  from  demonstra- 
tion.— 1  Green.  Ev.  4. 

A  presumption  of  any  fact  is,  says  Lord  Tenterden,  an  inferring  of 

that  fact  from  other  facts  that  are  known ;  it  is  an  act  of  reasoning ; 

and  much  of  human  knowledge  on  all  subjects  is  derived  from  this 

source. — R.  v.  Sir  P.  Burdett,  4  Barn.  ^  Md.  p.  161. 

16  L  121 


122 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


dences,  and  their  consistency;  as  the  force  of 
human  testimony,  in  our  courts  of  justice, 
depends  chiefly  upon  the  number  of  witnesses  and 
their  consistency  in  the  narration  of  their  story. 
— 1  Star,  Ev.  485.  The  emblems,  symbols,  &c., 
of  free  masonry,  may  be  termed  moral  witnesses. 
There  is  no  just  ground  to  suspect  their  integrity, 
having  lived  for  ages,  and  never  varied  in  their 
evidence.  That  which  they  have  at  all  times 
spoken,  will  bear  the  same  construction  and^ 
meaning.  They  direct  the  mind  to  the  conteni- 
plation  of  our  social  and  eternal  destinies.  The 
series  of  deductions  which  have  been  and  may  be 
drawn  from  them,  concur,  and  the  order  in  which 
the  emblems  and  types  are  introduced,  enhance 
materially  the  strength  of  the  evidence.  The 
uniform  construction  which  enlightened  craftsmen 
in  all  ages  have  given  to  them,  evince  their  mean- 
ing, and  establish,  in  our  estimation,  their  scriptu- 
ral character.  Invariably  awakening  the  same 
train  of  thought  and  reflection,  and  pointing  to 
particular  circumstances  of  known  biblical  signifi* 
catiqn,  they  furnish  a  body  of  coincidences  which 
can  only  be  accounted  for  upon  one  of  two  grounds 
or  suppositions :  either  the  points  on  which  they 
agree  are  true,  or  they  are  not.  If  they  be  true, 
a  consistent  moral  system  is  the  result;  if  untrue, 


NATURAL  AND  EEVEALED  RELIGION.  123 

or^  in  other  words,  if  the  construction  which  they 
have  received,  singly  and  collectively,  be  the  mere 
creation  of  the  imaginations  of  men,  then  there  is 
nothing  in  the  Order  worthy  of  our  pursuit  or 
investigation.  It  is,  then,  neither  an  art  nor  a 
science.  It  would  amount  to  an  idle  and  senseless 
thing.  But  such  a  view  of  the  Order  cannot  be 
maintained  upon  any  known  rule  of  logic.  It  has 
stood  the  test  of  ages,  and  the  severest  trials. 
Many  of  the  wisest  and  best  of  mankind,  from  its 
origin  down  to  the  present  day,  have  been  faithful 
and  devoted  craftsmen.*  Many  have  exemplified, 
in  their  walk  and  conversation,  its  sublime 
doctrines;  while  many  have  been  brought  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  true  light — the  light  of  the 
gospel — through  its  instrumentality.  There  are 
multitudes  who  have  traced  their  first  serious 
impressions  to  the  period  when  they  were  ini- 
tiated into  the  Order,  or  were  raised  to  the  degree 
of  a  Master.  Those  who  have  been  fully  made 
acquainted  with  the  machinery  of  the  institution, 

*  Melancthon,  Locke,  Newton,  Chalmers,  Burns,  Hutchinson, 
Preston,  Washington,  Warren,  Green,  Clinton,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Franklin,  Jackson,  and  a  host  of  other  worthies  who  might  be  named, 
were  members  of  the  fraternity.  The  masonic  aprons  of  Washington 
and  Warren  were  worn  in  procession  on  the  recent  occasion  of  laying 
the  corner-stone  of  the  monument  now  being  erected  to  the  memory 
of  the  Father  of  our  country. 


124  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO  , 

or  its  moral  lessons,  have  felt  the  silent  work  of 
reform  going  on  within  them.  In  the  first  degree, 
the  foundation  stone  of  moral  improvement  is 
symbolically  laid;  and  laid,  too,  in  reference  to 
the  location  of  the  sacred  Mount,  whereon  the 
temple  of  Solomon  stood,  and  the  grandest  events 
of  time  were  enacted.  Moriah*  was  situated  north- 
east  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem. 

There  is  evidently  design  in  every  department 
of  our  moral  work.  The  agreement  in  all  our 
emblems  or  symbols,  in  referring  to  our  immortal 
nature  with  its  thrilling  associations,  cannot  be 
wisely  regarded  as  the  result  of  chance  or  accident. 
The  founders  of  the  institution,  doubtless,  had  some 
great  end  or  design  in  view,  or  its  foundations 
would  not  have  covered  the  earth  and  its  roof 
formed  a  cloudy  canopy.  Free  masonry  otherwise 
would  never  have  extended  from  east  to  west,  and 
between  north  and  south ;  its  supports  would  not 
have  been  wisdom,  strength,  and  beauty.  Its 
splendid  furniture,  its  beautiful  ornaments,  its 
movable  and  immovable  jewels,  all  correspond 

•  A  hill  on  the  north-east  side  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  time  of  David, 
it  stood  apart  from  the  city,  and  was  under  cultivation;  for  here  was 
the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah,  the  Jebusite,  which  David  bought,  on 
which  to  erect  an  altar  to  God.  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  24,  25.) — 2  PicU 
Bid.  p.  889. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  125 

with  the  moral  design  and  architecture  of  the 
mystic  building.  Such  is  the  consistency  and 
fulness  of  the  testimony.  If  one  symbol  or  em- 
blem constituted  our  only  witness,  and  it  stood 
alone  and  unsupported,  there  could  be  little  or  no 
satisfactory  proof  of  the  moral  and  religious  ten- 
dency of  the  institution;  but  when  there  are  many 
witnesses  in  and  about  the  temple,  and  they  all 
agree,  the  additional  and  concurrent  testimony 
adds  to  the  credibility  of  our  view,  and  verifies  it. 
The  coincidences  are  natural  and  important. 
They  agree  in  points  obviously  material,  and  even 
in  minute  or  remote  points,  which  were  not  likely 
to  be  material,  or  in  matters  of  importance  not 
easily  perceived,  but  which  evidence  design. — 
1  Star,  Ev.  p.  486.  Partial  variances,  if  any 
exist,  are  of  little  moment,  unless  they  be  of  so 
prominent  a  nature  as  to  falsify  the  deductions 
from  the  uniform  and  consistent  character  of  the 
symbolical  representations.  "I  know  not,"  said 
Dr.  Paley,  "  a  more  rash  or  unphilosophical  con- 
duct of  the  understanding,  than  to  reject  the 
substance  of  a  story,  by  means  of  some  diversity 
of  the  circumstances  with  which  it  is  related. 
The  usual  character  of  human  testimony  is  sub- 
stantial truth  under  circumstantial  variety.  This 
is  what  the  daily  experience  of  courts  of  justice 


126 


ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


teaches.  When  accounts  of  a  transaction  come 
from  the  mouths  *  of  different  witnesses,  it  is 
seldom  that  it  is  not  possible  to  pick  out  apparent 
or  real  inconsistencies  between  them.  Those 
inconsistencies  are  studiously  displayed  by  an 
adverse  pleader,  but  oftentimes  with  little  im- 
pression on  the  minds  of  the  judges.  Numerous, 
and  sometimes  important  variations  present  them- 
selves; not  seldom  also,  absolute  and  final  contra- 
dictions; yet  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  are 
deemed  sufficient  to  shake  the  credibility  of  the 
main  fadT  •  , 

The  degrees  of  ancient  craft  masonry  afford  a 
vast  number  of  important  circumstances  or  signi- 
ficant allusions,  interwoven  and  connected  with 
each  other,  and  also  with  natural  and  revealed 
truth,  so  that  it  would  seem  impossible  to  resist 
the  conclusion  to  which  they  would  conduct  the 
thinking  mind.  There  are  also  a  number  of  de- 
pendent reflections  and  thoughts  which  arise  out 
of  the  principles  of  masonry,  which  coincide  or 
agree  in  their  minutest  bearings  and  relations. 
The  connection  which  exists  between  the  symbols 
and  the  train  of  thoughts  which  they  generate,  is 
as  perceptible  in  a  moral  point  of  view  as  that 
which  exists  between  a  man's  conduct  and  his 
motives,  or  between  cause  and  effect.    We  have 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  127 

shown  that  the  blazing  star  is  one  of  the  elements 
of  our  hierogljphical  language.  We  have  said 
that  it  is  emblematical  of  the  star  of  Bethlehem; 
and  what  a  sublime  train  of  reflections  it  awakens 
in  the  mind.  Our  thoughts  are  fixed  on  the 
remembrance  of  that  star  which  arose  in  the  east 
and  travelled  to  the  west,  and  which  was  as 
"  beautiful  as  the  young  child  to  which  it 
pointed."  And  by  it  we  are  brought  to  the  light 
of  many  touching  and  sublime  conceptions.  The 
whole  plan  of  God's  amazing  mercy  and  provi- 
dence becomes  visible.  But  the  emblem  is 
associated  with  other  emblems,  which  give  birth 
to  similar  thoughts  and  reflections  united  in 
sublime  alliance ;  and  the  whole,  when  put  together, 
make  a  tower  of  strength. 

If  the  analogy  which  exists  between  the  physi- 
cal and  spiritual  kingdoms  demonstrates  a  con- 
nection between  the  Author  of  nature  and  the 
Author  of  revelation,  or  prove  that  the  God  of 
nature  is  also  the  God  of  revelation,  then,  surely, 
there  is  much  force  in  the  analogy  which  is  found 
to  exist  between  the  doctrines  of  speculative 
masonry  and  spiritual  truth,  as  found  in  the  word 
of  God.  It  is  not  intended  even  to  intimate  that 
this  connection  argues  a  particular  or  special 
relation  between  the  authors  of  masonry  and  the 


128  ANALOGY  OF  TMASONKY  TO 

great  Author  of  tlie  book  of  Revelation.  It  simply 
shows  that  the  principles  of  our  Order  are  founded 
on  the  principles  contained  in  the  Bible.  And 
^  while  we  seem  to  read  the  truth  of  ,  revealed 
religion  written  in  the  book  of  Nature,  the  Bible 
has  kindled  our  moral  firmament  and  decked  our 
clouded  canopy  with  mystic  stars.  If  we  can 
gather  testimony  for  the  "  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus," 
from  the '  rocks  which  were  rent  on  the  day  of 
crucifixion,  we  know  that  masonry  is  associated 
with  the  mighty  memories  of  the  past,  and  the 
roclts  and  mountains  of  Judea.  If  the  cross  of 
Christ  was  erected  on  Calvary,  on  its  adjacent 
hill  were  witnessed  scenic  representations  of  the 
death  of  the  Saviour.  If  He  ascended  from  the 
summit  of  Olivet,  the  foot  of  the  masonic  ladder 
emblematically  reposes  on  the  hroiv  of  a  mount, 
and  its  top  seems  to  penetrate  beyond  our  vision. 
If  He  opened  a  communication  between  earth  and 
heaven,  we  have  shown  that  our  theological 
emblem  illustrates  the  same  fact.  If  there  exist 
"manifold  appearances  of  design  and  of  final 
causes  in  the  constitution  of  the  w^orld,"  there  are 
multiplied  evidences  of  design  manifested  in  our 
rites  and  ceremonies.  The  material  world  is 
"boundless  and  immense:"  the  masonic  world  is 
illimitable  in  its  dominions.    The  mind  of  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  129 

cultivated  Mason  is  directed  to  the  study  of  the 
visible  universe,  and  may  survey  the  bright  fields 
of  astronomy  and  investigate  the  laws  of  the 
planetary  system.  While  the  Master  gazes  on 
suns  and  stars  pursuing  their  way  in  the  heavens, 
he  cannot  fail  to  think  of  Him  who  made  those 
suns  and  stars,  and  dwells  in  that  inaccessible 
light  which  he  made  to  shine  in  far  lovelier 
canopies.  He  will  ponder  on  Him  which  spread- 
est  out  the  heavens,  which  maketh  Arcturus, 
Orion,  and  Pleiades,  and  the  chambers  of  the^ 
south.* — Joh  ix.  8,  9.  Who  can  bind  the  sweet  * 
influences  of  Pleiades,  or  loose  the  bands  of 
Orion  ;f  who  can  bring  forth  Mazzaroth  in  his 
season,  and  Arcturus  with  his  sons. — Job  xxxviii. 
31,  32.  We  may  read,  in  the  sacred  pages,  of  the 
celestial  hemisphere,  the  wisdom,  strength,  and 

*  The  sacred  writers  rarely  mention  any  of  the  constellations  by 
name  ;  because  it  is  supposed  that  the  heathen  nations  worshipped 
the  hosts  of  heaven. — 2  Home's  Intro.  187. 

Bp.  Patrick  thinks  that  nothing  more  is  intended  by  Arcturus, 
Orion,  &c.,  than  to  point  out  to  us,  that  all  the  constellations  of 
heaven  obey  God  in  their  several  seasons;  both  those  which  we  see, 
and  those  in  the  other  hemisphere.  St.  Jerome  delivers  substantially 
the  same  comment. 

,   f  "The  sweet  influences"  are  the  pleasant  season  of  Spring;  "the 

bands"  are  the  rigours  of  winter,  when  the  earth  is  bound  with  frost  

ScoWs  Com.  Job  xxxviii.  31.    St.  Chrysostom,  says  Scott,  explains 

Mazzaroth  of  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac. 
17 


130  AXAJ.OGT  OF  31A?0yET  TO 

beauty  of  the  Alniightj  Creator:  and  while  we 
are  employed  in  the  study  of  the  science  of  astro- 
nomy, we  Tvill  perceive  unparalleled  instances  of 
wisdom  and  goodness;  and  through  the  whole 
creation  trace  the  glorious  Author  by  his  works. 
—Cross's  Chart,  p.  24.  He  telleth  the  number  of 
the  stars:  he  calleth  them  by  their  names. — Fs. 
cxlvii.  4.  And  how  many  living  orbs  of  light 
revolve  the  unseen  depths  of  glory,  in  -  radiant 
circles"  round  the  central  throne  ?  The  All- 
seeing  Eye  can  number  them  at  a  glance  and  call 
them  by  theu'  names.  The  material  heavens 
have  no  language,  and  yet  the  inspired  Psalmist 
calls  on  them  to  praise  the  Lord :  Praise  ye  him. 
sun  and  moon:  praise  him.  all  ye  stars  of  Hght. 
Praise  him,  ye  heaven  of  heavens,  and  ye  waters 
that  be  above  the  heavens. — Ps.  cxlviii.  3.  4. 
The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God.  and  the 
firmament  showeth  his  handiwork. — Fs.  xix.  1. 
They  call  upon  us.  says  Bishop  Home,  to  translate 
their  actions  into  our  language,  and  copy  their 
obedience  in  our  hves.  that  so  we  may.  both  by 
word  and  deed,  glorifv,  with  them,  the  Creator 
and  Redeemer  of  the  universe. 

Begin,  my  soul,  the  exalted  lay. 
Let  each  enraptnred  thought  obey, 
And  praise  the  Almighty's  name : 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  131 

Lo  !  heaven  and  earth,  and  sea  and  skies, 
In  one  melodious  concert  rise. 
To  swell  the  inspiring-  theme. — Dr.  Ogilvie. 

Masonry  has  its  terrestrial  globe  as  well  as  its 
celestial.  Our  artificial  globes  are  spherical  bodies, 
on  the  convex  surface  of  which  are  represented 
the  countries,  seas,  and  various  parts  of  the  earth, 
the  face  of  the  heavens,  the  planetary  revolutions, 
and  other  particulars. — Cross ^  p.  24.  Doubtless, 
these  artificial  globes  were  intended  to  assist  the 
contemplative  Mason  in  studying  the  material 
world,  that  he  might  be  inspired  with  a  due  reve- 
rence for  the  Deity  and  all  his  works.  The 
celestial  and  terrestrial  globes  have  been  most 
wisely  adopted  as  emblems  of  the  Order,  The 
study  of  geography  is  particularly  important  to  an 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  Sacred 
geography  may  be  said  to  embrace  ,  the  surface  of 
the  earth;  not  merely  the  Holy  Land,  with  its 
mountains,  plains,,  rivers,  and  cities,  but  all  lands, 
rivers,  and  seas ;  for  Christianity  will  yet  spread 
over  all  the  world.  The  religion  of  our  Saviour 
was  designed  to  embrace,  in  its  merciful  and  won- 
derful provisions,  all  nations.  When  "the  apostles 
were  commissioned  to  prosecute  their  evangelical 
labours,  a  new  field  of  geography  was  opened  by 
their  ministry,  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 


132     "  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Holy  Land,  Babylon,  Assyria,  or  Egypt."  Min- 
isters of  Christ  are  now  piously  and  zealously  en- 
gaged in  the  great  cause  of  humanity,  and  preach- 
ing Christ  crucified  in  the  most  dark  and  remote 
regions.  They  have  carried  out  to  the  heathen 
the  volume  of  our  fathers'  love  and  faith,  and  the 
time  will  surely  arrive  when  its  benign  and  civil- 
izing influences  will  be  witnessed  in  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth.  Masonry,  then,  has  incorpo- 
rated into  its  system  all  that  nature  argues  for  its 
God.  Whatever  natural  theology  teaches,  is  em- 
braced in  our  universal  science ;  whatever  analogy 
exists  between  natural  and  revealed  religion ;  or 
whatever  may  be  the  analogy  of  religion,  natural 
and  revealed,  to  the  constitution  and  course  of  na- 
ture, it  constitutes  a  portion  of  masonic  truth.  If, 
therefore,  natural  religion  teaches  a  future  state  of 
existence;  that  the  government  of  God  is  one  of 
rewards  and  punishments ;  that  his  government  is 
a  moral  government ;  that  there  exists  a  state  of 
probation  or  moral  discipline,  as  Bishop  Butler 
proved  conclusively;  then,  all  these  truths  are 
taught  in  the  science  of  masonry :  for  we  have 
shown  that  Masons,  as  such,  are  enjoined  to  study 
all  the  works  of  God,  that  they  may  be  inspired 
wiih  reverence  for  their  Creator.  If  there  be  any 
analogy  between  natural  and  revealed  religion, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  133 

that  analogy  is  recognised  in  masonry ;  and  what- 
ever proof  there  is  in  the  world  of  nature  of  the 
Divine  origin  of  the  Scriptures,  has  been  adopted 
also  by  the  Order.  If  the  consideration  of  the 
material  universe  lead  us  to  believe  that  there 
must  be  some  scheme  of  Providence  vast  in  pro- 
portion to  it" — and  if  this  little  scene  of  human 
life  in  which  we  are  so  busily  engaged  lead  us  to 
contemplate  a  much  larger  state  of  things,"  then, 
that  science,  which  is  universal,  and  cannot  be 
understood  without  a  knowledge  of  the  material 
world  or  the  constitution  of  nature,  must  embrace 
all  the  arguments,  by  way  of  analogy,  which  may 
be  drawn  from  nature. 

The  degrees  of  masonry  illustrate  the  doctrine 
of  a  state  of  probation,  trial,  labour,  or  moral  dis- 
cipline. The  Entered  Apprentice  must  serve  a 
proper  time  as  such,  before  he  can  be  advanced  to 
the  degree  of  Fellow  Craft.  He  must  learn  to  cul- 
tivate his  moral  and  intellectual  nature;  to 
measure  and  divide  his  time  properly;  to  guard 
against  temptation  and  avoid  evil;  and  to  keep 
the  door  of  his  heart  closed  to  every  unholy  desire. 
Such  are  his  masonic  duties — such  his  moral  work 
— which  he  must  perform  before  he  can  be  taught 
to  number  and  mark  the  immortal  ashlar ;  for  it 
must  be  polished  before  it  can  be  either  marked  or 

M 


134 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


numbered.  In  the  due  performance  of  such  work, 
there  are  many  trials  and  difficulties— many  per- 
plexities and  troubles.  Moral  improvement  is  a 
gradual  work.  Faith  precedes  hope^  and  hope 
comes  before  charity.  We  must  serve  our  Grand 
Master  with  freedom^  fervency^  and  zeal.  The  first 
degree  is  preparatory  to  the  second.  The  Entered 
Apprentice  takes  only  the  first  step  in  masonry, 
the  second  step  is  in  the  Fellow  Craft's  degree. 
They  both  teach  probation,  or  the  necessity  of 
preparation  to  receive  the  sublime  degree  of  a 
Master  Mason. 

It  is  believed  that  the  principles  which  we  pro- 
fess inculcate  the  doctrine  of  free  agency  and  the 
trust  which  we  should  always  repose  in  God.  No 
one  can  be  made  a  Mason  without  his  own  delibe- 
rate consent  or  free  will.  He  must  seek  admission 
voluntarily — uninfluenced  by  friends  or  idle  curi- 
osity.*   He  should  come  as  one  anxiously  desiring 

*  The  following  questions  must  be  answered  affirmatively  by  a  can 
didate  previous  to  his  initiation  :  1st.  Do  you  seriously  declare,  upon 
your  honour,  that,  unbiassed  by  friends  and  uninfluenced  by  merce- 
nary motives,  you  freely  and  voluntarily  offer  yourself  a  candidate  for 
the  mysteries  of  masonry  1  2d.  Do  you  seriously  declare,  upon 
your  honour,  that  you  are  prompted  to  solicit  the  privileges  of  masonry 
by  a  favourable  opinion  of  the  institution,  a  desire  of  knowledge,  and 
a  sincere  wish  of  being  serviceable  to  your  fellow  creatures  ?  3d.  Do 
you  seriously  declare,  upon  your  honour,  that  you  will  conform  to  ciU 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  135 

to  subdue  Ms  passions  and  to  improve  his  social 
and  moral  being;  with  a  sincere  wish  to  be 
brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth ;  and  that  his 
soul  might  be  imbued  with  the  love  of  man  and 
the  love  of  God. 

There  were  several  stages  or  degrees  in  the 
creation  of  the  world.  When  God  divided  the 
light  from  the  darkness,  he  called  the  light  Day,  and 
the  darkness  he  called  Night.  And  the  evening 
and  the  morning  were  the  first  day. — Gen.  i.  4,  5. 
The  earth  passed  from  one  stage  to  another; 
islands,  and  continents,  and  waters,  assuming  different 
forms  and  proportions,  and  being  successively  fitted  up 
for  different  living  tribes. — 1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  360.  The 
earth  was  at  first  without  form  and  void.  Darkness 
was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep.  The  Spirit  moved 
or  brooded  over  the  waters,  and  then  came  the 
light. ^    God  made  the  firmament  before  he  made 

the  ancient  established  usages  and  customs  of  the  fraternity  1 — Trestle- 
hoard.  > 

*  The  words,  "  And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void,  and 
darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep  :  and  the  Spirit  of  God  moved 
upon  the  face  of  the  waters,"  are  regarded  by  many  divines  as  being 
typical.  They  admit  of  a  twofold  application — to  natural  things  and 
to  spiritual.  The  work  attributed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  may  serve  as  a 
type  of  that  which  this  Divine  agent  came  down  at  Pentecost  to  per- 
form. •  The  Gospel  of  St.  John  commences  in  the  same  strain  and  with 
the  same  sublime  abruptness  as  the  book  of  Genesis :  as  though  the 


136  '       ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

the  earth,  and  the  earth  before  he  put  lights  in  the 
firmament,  and  the  waters  before  the  living  crea- 
tures which  were  to  move  therein,  and  the  earth 
and  air  before  he  made  the  fowls  and  birds;  and 
after  he  had  made  all  other  things  and  beings,  and 
all  nature  was  fair  and  beautiful,  and  pronounced 
good  by  the  Almighty,  then  he  said:  "Let  us 
make  man  in  our  own  image,  after  our  likeness, 
and  let  them  have  dominion  over  all."  It  seems, 
then,  that  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  creation  con- 
•  tains  the  doctrine  of  progression:  that  one  state 
of  existence  prepares  the  way  for  another ;  for  one 
period  of  time,  at  the  creation,  was  the  precursor 
of  another.  It  teaches,  that  if  God,  in  his  infinite 
mercy  and  goodness,  made  earth  and  all  that  it 
contains,  and  made  man  and  gave  him  dominion 
over  all,  then  man  is  a  creature  of  the  loftiest 
destiny ;  and  when  he  shall  have  passed  through 
various  states  of  moral  culture,  and  performed 

historians  of  the  New  Testament  and  of  the  Old  had  to  give  the  narra- 
tions of  similar  creations.  And,  forasmuch  -as  that  moral  change, 
which  passes  over  those  who  become  heirs  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
is  described  in  the  Bible  as  nothing  less  than  a  new  creation,  and  is 
moreover  ascribed  to  the  agency  of  that  Spirit  which  brooded  over  the 
waters  of  the  primitive  chaos,  there  can,  at  least,  be  nothing  unreason- 
able in  the  supposition  that  a  typical  character  attaches,  in  some 
degree,  to  the  scriptural  account  of  the  formation  of  all  things.— 
1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  361. 


NATUKAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  137 


various  degrees  of  service,  would  be  raised  at  last 
to  the  world  of  spirits. 

The  Entered  Apprentice  is  represented  as  one 
doomed  to  labour.  He  symbolizes  a  hewer  of 
wood  and  drawer  of  water.  And  labour  is  a  part 
of  the  original  curse:  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 
shalt  thou  eat  bread. — Gen.  iii.  19.  It  would  seem, 
however,  that  man  was  not  intended  be  an  idle 
being,  even  if  he  had  retained  his  first  estate.* 
He  was  created  an  active  agent,  but  his  labour 
was  a  pleasing  pursuit :  He  took  the  man  and  put 
him  into  the  garden  to  dress  it  and  Jceep  it. — Gen. 
ii.  15. 

The  degree  of  Entered  Apprentice  may  be  looked 
upon  in  a  twofold  aspect.  It  may  be  typical  of 
our  lost  innocence,  or  that  which  was  forfeited  at 
the  fall  of  man.  It  may  be  also  typical  of  that 
freedom,  fervency,  and  zeal  with  which  our  first 
parents  laboured,  before  their  transgression,  to 


*  Idleness  was  not  allowed  even  in  Paradise,  filled  as  it  was  with 
all  things  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food.  Adam,  though  he 
could  know  no  want,  nor  be  apprehensive  of  any  scarcity,  had  yet  an 
employment  assigned  him,  that  he  might  keep  his  faculties  in  exer- 
cise, and  manage  his  time  and  opportunities  to  the  best  advantage. 
Industry  and  righteousness  are  constantly  united,  and  no  man  can  be 
said  to  love  or  serve  God,  who  does  not  endeavour  to  do  good  in  his 

generation. — Sears^s  Bible  Biog.  p.  12. 
18  m2 


138 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


worship  and  adore  their  Creator,  and  in  keeping 
and  dresdng  the  garden.  Their  labour  consisted 
in  moral  and  religious  culture,  pious  meditation, 
and  prayerful  devotion  to  their  Divine  Creator. 
And  "thrice  happy  were  the  happy  pair." 

.  Discovering  in  the  wide  landscape  all  the  east 
Of  Eden  and  Eden's  happy  plains, 
Lowly  they  bow'd  adoring ;  and  began 
Their  orisons,  each  morning  daily  paid 
In  various  style ;  for  neither  various  style 
Nor  holy  rapture  wanted  they  to  praise 
Their  Maker,  in  fit  strains  pronounced  or  sung 
Unmeditated,  such  prompt  eloquence 
Flow'd  from  their  lips,  in  prose  or  numerous  verse, 
More  tuneable  than  needed  lute  or  harp 
To  add  more  sweetness. — Milton,  B.  5. 

Probation  implies  progression,  and  progression 
implies  reward.  If  the  labour  of  the  Entered  Ap- 
prentice is  intended  to  refer  to  the  fall  of  man,  or 
the  curse  pronounced  for  his  disobedience,  then 
the  industrious  and  Christian  Mason  has  an  assur- 
ance that  the  time  will  come  when  he  will  be 
called  from  his  labour  on  earth  to  refreshment  in 
heaven.  Every  Entered  Apprentice  who  wrought 
at  the  building  of  king  Solomon's  temple,  at  its 
completion,  would  have  been  entitled  to  his  reward, 
if  found  worthy,  by  being  advanced,  or  rather  in- 
vested with  the  secrets  of  the  three  Grand  Masters. 


•  NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  139 

So,  if  we  walk  worthy  of  our  vocation,  and  faith- 
fully serve  our  God,  at  the  final  consummation  of 
all  things — the  day  for  the  completion  of  the  tem- 
ple on  high — we  will  all  be  rewarded  abundantly 
for  our  pious  labours. 

The  right  of  the  Entered  Apprentice  to  be  ad- 
vanced^ or  the  Fellow  Craft  to  be  raised^  depends, 
in  strict  principle,  upon  his  proficiency  in  the  de- 
gree which  he  has  received.  He  should  be  able 
to  exhibit  a  beautiful  specimen  of  intellectual  or 
moral  work,  to  entitle  him  to  receive  wages,  or  to 
enter  upon  the  study  of  the  higher  departments  of 
science.  The  progress  of  knowledge  is  not  con- 
fined in  its  results  to  the  mere  facts  which  we 
acquire,  or  the  elements  of  truth ;  but  it  advances 
with  a  majestic  step  to  other  and  higher  regions 
of  philosophy. — Aler.  on  Intel,  Powers^  p.  71.  The 
understanding  is  enlarged  for  the  more  ready  re- 
ception of  other  facts  and  other  truths,  when  a 
wider  field  of  observation  is  opened  to  the  mind's 
eye,  or  a  broader  domain  of  reason.  The  human 
intellect  cannot  remain  stationary.  It  must  either 
advance  or  retrograde  in  power  and  strength. 
Such  is  the  case  with  all  our  moral  and  social 
capacities.  The  soul,  that  eternal  and  active  prin- 
ciple, must  be  either  improving  its  moral  condi- 
tion, or  be  heaping  up  wrath  for  the  day  of  wrath. 


140 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


There  are  degrees  of  wickedness  and  degrees  of  vir- 
tue and  holiness.  One  sinner  differs  from  another 
sinner  in  the  acts  of  disobedience.  And  "one  star 
differeth  from  another  star  in  glory." 
.  We  need  not  resort  to  the  fact  that  our  social 
and  moral  being  is  susceptible  of  the  highest 
culture,  to  establish  the  progressive  character  of 
the  human  soul.  Nature,  when  read  by  the  Great 
Light  of  our  Order,  furnishes  abundant  proof  of  the 
soul's  immortality.  The  disordered  state  of  the 
spiritual  world,  contrasted  with  the  regular  and 
systematical  order  of  the  material,  affords  a  strong 
presumption  of  another  state,  in  which  the  moral 
evils  which  now  exist  will  be  corrected. — DicJcs 
Future  State^  p.  70,  ch.  1,  s.  8.  Out  of  the  ruins 
of  humanity  may  arise  a  new-born  spirit,  whose 
immortal  nature  will  be  capable  of  advancing 
higher  and  higher  in  the  regions  of  bliss.  The 
elements  of  truth  contained  in  the  degree  of  En- 
tered Apprentice  are  but  the  rudiments  of  masonic 
knowledge,  but  which  are  essential  to  be  learned 
and  understood,  before  one  can  with  propriety  be 
advanced  to  the  higher  degrees.  So  man  in  his  pre- 
sent state  may  be  looked  upon  as  possessing  only 
the  rudiments  of  what  he  may  become  hereafter  in 
a  more  expansive  sphere  of  existence. — Ihid.  p.  90. 
The  Mason  should  look  to  the  future — mark  his 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  141 

advancing  steps  to  meet  the  Son  of  Man  in  his  coming — 
the  great  Builder  of  the  church  of  God.  Every  step 
in  life  should  be  cautiously  and  considerately 
taken.  We  should  measure  our  steps  and  7nark 
the  ground  whereon  we  stand.  It  is  scriptural 
and  holy  ground.  The  plumb  admonishes  us  to 
walk  uprightly  in  our  several  stations  toward  God 
and  man. — Cross ^  ip.  22.  We  are  all  travelling  on 
the  common  level  of  time,  and  we  should  not  ad- 
vance without  a  to  all  our  steps  and  actions, 
always  keeping  in  view  the  penalty  of  the  Divine 
law ;  for  if  we  depart  from  the  line  of  duty,  or 
prove  ungrateful  to  our  heavenly  Father,  we  will 
never  be  raised,  through  the  strength  of  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  to  a  glorious  immortality. 
It  is  well  that  we  are  probationers  in  time — "  the 
pensioners  on  the  bounty  of  an  hour."  Earth  is 
the  floor  on  which  we  must,  if  ever^  work  out  our 
salvation.  Here  each  one  must  lay  his  corner-stone 
of  virtue  and  righteousness,  upon  which  he  is 
charged  to  erect  a  superstructure  honourable  to 
himself  and  profitable  to  his  Master.  The  Entered 
Apprentice,  in  his  preparatory  state,  may  learn  a 
lesson  of  humility,  and  to  place  but  little  value  on 
worldly  riches,  or  earthly  grandeur — a  lesson 
which  is  impressed  upon  his  mind  by  symbolical 
ceremonies,  too  important  in  their  character  ever 


142  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 

to  be  forgotten. — Maclteys  Lex.  The  Bible,  which 
he  is  informed  should  be  tihe  rule  of  his  faith, 
"is  a  symbol  in  masonry  of  the  will  of  God; 
and  from  the  centre  of  the  lodge  pours  forth  its 
effulgent  rays  of  Divine  truth."  It  is  the  great 
light  of  God.  All  the  lesser  lights  are  doomed  to 
expire.  The  sun  will  drop  in  darkness  from  his 
throne  in  the  heavens;  the  moon  will  be  turned 
into  blood,  or  wane  away,  when  doomsday  comes ; 
but  the  light  of  Divine  Wisdom  will  burn  brighter 
and  brighter  and  for  ever  and  ever. 


LECTURE  VII. 


The  plumb-rule  and  level,  united,  represent  the  cross ;  the  plumb- 
rule  constituting-  the  lower  limb,  and  the  level  the  upper  and  trans- 
verse limb ;  while  the  heavy  setting  maul  would  be  a  point  within  a 
circle. — Willoughhy  of  Berkenhead. 

The  temple  of  speculative  masonry  is  built  by  piling  precept  upon 
precept,  symbol  upon  symbol,  instruction,  explanation,  admonition, 
example,  and  historical  fact,  like  a  series  of  polished  and  perfect 
stones,  emblematically  carved,  marked,  and  numbered. — Oliver. 

Say,  ancient  edifice,  thyself  with  years 

Grown  gray,  how  long  upon  the  hill  has  stood 

Thy  weather-braving  tower,  and  silent  marked 

The  human  leaf  in  constant  bud  and  fall  % 

The  generations  of  deciduous  man. 

How  oft  hast  thou  seen  them  pass  away  1 — Hurdis. 

The  Fellow  Craft's  degree,  says  a  learned  Mason, 
is  one  particularly  devoted  to  science.  Clothed 
with  a  white  garment,*  the  candidate  for  this  de- 


*  The  ancients  were  also  wont  to  put  a  white  garment  on  the  person 
baptized,  to  denote  his  having  put  off  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  being 
cleansed  from  former  sins;  and  that  he  had  obliged  himself  to  main- 
tain a  life  of  unspotted  innocence.    Accordingly,  the  baptized  are, 

143 


144 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONKY  TO 


gree  advances  to  be  invested  with  its  deep  and 
unutterable  truths.  Passing  the  porch  of  the  tem- 
ple, on  his  way  to  the  inner  chamber,  he  is  taught 
our  ancient  and  unerring  method  of  distinguishing 
a  friend  from  a  foe.*  His  mind  is  fixed  upon  the 
wonders  of  nature  and  art.  He  is  taught  the  dif- 
ference between  operative  and  speculative  ma- 
sonry; and,  by  instruction  and  contemplation,  is 
led  to  view  with  reverence  and  admiration  the 
works  of  creation,  and  is  inspired  with  the  most 
exalted  ideas  of  the  perfections  of  his  Divine 
Creator. — Mack.  Lex.  Extensive  knowledge  and 
cultivated  genius  enabled  our  ancient  brethren  to 
work  out  those  beautiful  and  sublime  designs 
which  our  revered  master,  Hiram,  the  builder, 
drew  on  his  tracing-board.     It  has  been  stated 

both  by  the  apostles  and  the  Greek  fathers,  frequently  styled  the  enlighU 
ened ;  because  they  profess  to  be  children  of  light,  and  engage  them- 
selves never  to  return  again  to  the  works  of  darkness.  The  white 
o-arment  used  to  be  delivered  to  them  with  this  solemn  charge :  "  Re- 
ceive  the  white  and  undejiled  garment,  and  produce  it  without  spot  before 
the  tribunal  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  you  may  obtain  eternal  life. 
Amen. — Eccl.  Biog.,  Mas.  Lib.  p.  151. 

*  The  application  which  is  made  of  certain  words  among  Masons, 
is  as  a  testimony  of  their  retaining  their  original  word  uninfringed, 
and  their  faith  with  the  brotherhood  uncorrupted.  And,  to  render  their 
words  and  phrase  more  abstruse  and  obscure,  they  selected  such  as  by 
acceptation  in  the  Scriptures  and  otherwise,  might  puzzle  the  ignorant 
by  a  double  implication. — Hutchinson^  Mas.  Lib.  p.  166. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  145 


that,  in  the  degree  of  Entered  Apprentice  every 
emblematical  ceremony  is  directed  to  the  lustration 
of  the  heart;  in  that  of  the  Fellow  Craft,  to  the 
enlargement  of  the  mind. — Mack.  Lex.  This 
statement  is  emphatically  true;  but  that  enlarge- 
ment of  mind,  that  advancement  in  knowledge,  or 
progress  in  science,  may  inspire  our  affections  and 
advance  our  moral  nature.  An  advancement  in 
mind  is  an  advancement  in  the  philosophy  of  the 
soul.  "Every  triumph  of  the  intellect,  imbued 
with  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  the  field  of  physical 
science,  is  an  achievement  in  moral  science."  Dis- 
coveries in  the  material  or  immaterial  universe, 
reveal  the  goodness  and  wisdom  of  Deity.  The 
providential  designs  of  God,  the  Architect  of  uni- 
versal nature,  show  the  merciful  genius  of  our 
Master  in  heaven. 

In  a  lodge  of  Fellow  Craft  Masons,  the  Bible 
should  be  opened  upon  the  altar;  and,  by  having 
reference  to  the  chart,  it  would  appear  proper  that 
it  should  be  opened  at  the  seventh  chapter  of  the 
book  of  Amos,  the  7th  and  8th  verses  of  which 
read  as  follows :  Thus  he  showed  me :  and,  behold, 
the  Lord  stood  upon  a  wall  made  by  flumb-line^ 


*  The  rule,  the  plumb-line,  the  square,  and  the  compasses  are  em- 
blematical of  the  conduct  we  should  pursue  in  society ;  to  observe 
19  N 


146 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


with  a  plumb-line  in  his  hand.  "  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  me,  Amos,  what  seest  thou?  And  I  said,  A 
plumh-line.  Then  said  the  Lord,  Behold,  I  will  set 
a  plumh-line  in  the  midst  of  my  people  Israel:  I 
will  not  again  pass  by  them  any  more.  There  is 
the  following  passage  in  second  Kings:  I  will 
stretch  over  Jerusalem  the  line  of  Samaria,  and  the 
plummet  of  the  house  of  Ahab. — 2  Kings,  xxi.  13. 
Such  was  a  part  of  the  denunciation  of  God  against 
Jerusalem  for  the  idolatries  of  Manasseh.  How 
dreadful  is  the  use  of  the  line  and  plumb,  when 
strictly  applied  by  the  hand  of  the  Almighty. 
How  nicely  will  He  plumb  all  our  thoughts  and 
deeds.  If  we  do  not  walk  uprightly  before  God  and 
man;  if  we  do  not  raise  our  thoughts  directly  to 
heaven,  we  shall  have  cause  to  tremble  with  fear; 
for  our  ungrateful  souls  will  have  refused  the  true 
worship  when  it  was  before  us,  and  He  will  stretch 


punctually  all  our  engagements ;  faithfully  and  religiously  to  dis- 
charge those  important  obligations  which  we  owe  to  God  and  our 
neighbour;  to  be  upright  in  all  our  dealings ;  to  hold  the  scale  of  justice 
in  equal  poise ;  to  square  our  actions  by  the  unerring  rule  of  God's 
Sacred  Word ;  and  keep  within  compass  and  bounds  with  all  man- 
kind, but  particularly  with  a  brother. — AM.  Rez.  p.  150.  God's  judg- 
ments are  sometimes  represented  by  "  a  line"  and  "  a  plummet,"  to 
denote  that  they  are  measured  out  by  the  exactest  rules  of  justice. — 
See  DWyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Amos  vii.  7.  Also  2  Kings  xxi.  13; 
Isaiah  xxviii.  17. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  147 

over  us  the  line  of  Samaria  and  the  plummet  of  the 
house  of  Ahab.  And  when  He  comes  to  judge  the 
world,  will  He  not  have  a  plumb-line  in  his  hand, 
and  will  He  not  set  a  plumb-line  in  the  midst  of  all 
his  people  ?  - 

The  plumb  is  an  instrument  made  use  of  by 
operative  masons  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  per- 
pendicular lines.  In  speculative  masonry,  it  is 
one  of  the  tools  of  the  Fellow  Craft.  The  plumb 
is  also  the  jewel  of  the  Junior  Warden,  and  instructs 
us,  says  Mackey,  symbolically,  as  the  authority 
of  this  officer  is  exercised  only  in  time  of  refresh- 
ment, when  the  brethren  have  ceased  to  labour,  and 
are  no  longer  within  the  lodge  room ;  that  then, 
more  particularly,  when  the  eyes  of  a  censorious 
world  are  upon  him,  should  the  Mason  walk  up- 
rightly  and  eschew  evil.  But  does  it  not  symboli- 
cally instruct  us  as  to  the  authority  of  Him^  by  and 
through /whom  we  can  come  to  the  Father ;  and  that  a 
time  will  arrive  when  the  earthly  labours  of  the  just 
will  cease ^  and  they  shall  be  called  to  everlasting  re- 
freshment ? 

The  other  instruments  of  the  Fellow  Craft  have 
been  adverted  to  incidentally.  The  square  is  an 
angle  extending  to  ninety  degrees,  or  the  fourth 
part  of  a  circle.  It  is  not  only  one  of  the  work- 
ing tools  of  the  Fellow  Craft,  but  the  distinc- 


148 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


tive  jewel  of  the  Master  of  a  lodge. — MacJcey's 
Lex.  '  ■  ' .  ■  ,  ■ 

The  square,  then,  is  an  angle  extending  to 
ninety  degrees,  or  the  fourth  part  of  a  circle.  We 
have  shown  that  the  circle*  is  an  emblem  of  Deity 
and  eternity.  Man  has  within  him  an  immortal 
part.  The  living  soul  is  an  emanation  from  God. 
It  is  a  segment  of  eternity.  It  may  be  compared 
to  the  fourth  part  of  a  circle,  and  may  be  said  to 
belong  to  that  which  has  neither  beginning  nor 
end.  It  is  destined  for  an  eternal  duration.  It  is 
a  part  of  the  Great  Circle,  which  has  a  Common 
Centre,  that  Perfect  Point  from  which  all  perfect 
forms  or  figures  are  drawn.  The  great  Geometri- 
cian, before  time  began, 


*  The  square  was  the  figure  under  which  the  Israelites  formed  their 
encampments  in  the  wilderness,  and  under  which  they  fortified  or 
defended  the  holy  tabernacle,  sanctified  with  the  immediate  presence 
of  the  Divinity. — Masonic  Lib.  p.  176,  n. 

The  ground-plot  on  which  the  temple  was  erected  was  a  square  of 
600  cubits.  The  court  of  the  priests  was  a  perfect  square.  The  altar 
of  burnt-ofierings  was  12  cubits  square.  The  most  holy  place  was  a 
square  of  20  cubits.  Solomon  began  to  build  the  house  of  the  Lord 
in  the  fourth  year.  In  the  most  holy  place  of  Solomon's  temple 
were  four  cherubim.  The  breastplate  of  judgment  was  four-square 
when  doubled,  and  had  four  rows  of  stones,  three  stones  in  each  row. 
There  are  four  Gospels.  The  Jews  divided  the  night  into  four  watches, 
ana  the  day  likewise. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  149 

Took  the  golden  compasses,  prepared 
In  God's  eternal  store,  to  circumscribe 
The  universe  and  all  created  things ; 
One  foot  he  centered,  and  the  other  turn'd 
Round  through  the  vast  profundity  obscure, 
And  said,  thus  far  extend,  thus  far  thy  bounds, 
'  This  be  thy  just  circumference,  O  world. — Milton. 

The  square  is.  also  a  significant  emblem  of  virtue 
and  morality.  As  by  the  application  of  the  square 
the  stone  is  tried  and  proved,  so  by  the  application 
of  the  principles  of  morality,  each  action  of  human 
life  is  judged,  and  approved  or  condemned.— Mack. 
Lex.  S.  9.  Our  moral  work  must  prove  true  and 
trusty ;  it  must  be  square  work.  If  it  is  not  such, 
it  will  be  rejected  and  cast  among  the  ruins  of  sin, 
and  will  never  be  taken  from  the  fires  which  were 
kindled  at  the  fall  of  man.  It  will  there  remain 
for  ever  and  ever;  but  the  penal  flames  will  never 
polish  or  burn  oflf  its  rough  edges.  No  angel  of 
light  will  ever  be  sent  to  the  ruins  below,  in  search 
of  any  rejected  stone,  to  bring  it  forth  with  shout- 
ing and  praise.* 

The  level  is  an  emblem  of  equality.  All  men 
are  created  equal.    The  level  teaches  particularly 


*  There  is  a  Jewish  tradition  concerning  a  certain  stone,  which, 
after  having  been  by  the  builders  of  the  second  temple  thrown  aside 
among  the  rubbish,  was  at  last  found  to  be  exactly  fitted  for  the 
honourable  place  of  a  chief  corner-stone. — Bp.  Home  on  Psalms,  p.  398t 

n2 


150 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


the  equality  of  men  in  the  sight  of  God.  We  are 
all  heirs  of  immortality — all  are  journeying  to  the 
spirit  land.  All  our  brethren  have  travelled  the 
way  before  us;  some  to  the  spirit  land  of  glory, 
and  others  to  the  regions  of  outer  darkness.  Let 
us  all  ask  ourselves  the  solemn  question,  whither 
are  we  going  ?  The  Mighty  Master  will  certainly 
square  our  thoughts  and  plumb  our  actions.  We 
will  all  be  judged  by  his  righteous  law.  If  we 
advance  in  the  path  of  sin,  it  will  surely  lead  lis 
to  that  awful  precipice,  from  which  we  must  step 
into  the  profoundest  woe. 

The  second  section  of  the  Fellow  Graffs  degl'ee 
refers  to  the  origin  of  the  institution,  and  views 
masonry  under  two  denominations,  operative  and 
speculative.* — AM.  Rez.  p.  167.    The  early  his- 

*  By  operative  masonry,  we  allude  to  a  proper  application  of  the 
useful  rules  of  architecture,  whence  a  structure  will  derive  figure^ 
strength,  and  beauty,-  and  whence  will  result  a  due  proportion,  and  a 
just  correspondence  in  all  its  parts.  It  furnishes  us  with  dwellings 
and  convenient  shelters  from  the  vicissitudes  and  inclemencies  of 
seasons;  and  while  it  displays  the  eifects  of  human  wisdom,  as  well 
in  the  ch9ice  as  in  the  arrangement  of  the  sundry  materials  of  which 
an  edifice  is  composed,  it  demonstrates  that  a  fund  of  science  and 
industry  is  implanted  in  man  for  the  best,  most  salutary,  and  benefi- 
cent purposes. 

By  speculative  masonry,  we  learn  to  subdue  the  passions,  act  upon 
the  square,  keep  a  tongue  of  good  report,  maintain  secrecy,  and 
practise  charity.    It  is  so  interwoven  with  religion^as  to  lay  us  under 


liTATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  151 

tory  of  the  Order,  like  that  of  the  world,  is  in- 
volved in  much  obscurity,  but  our  landmarks  or 
traditions  induce  the  belief  that  masonry  is  of 
great  antiquity.  In  its  progress  through  many 
generations,  some  innovations  may  have  been 
engrafted  upon  the  system;  but  its  fundamental 
principles  remain  unaltered.  The  internal  evi- 
dence of  free  masonry,  tending  to  establish  its 
ancient  origin,  could  not,  perhaps,  with  masonic 
propriety,  be  disclosed  to  the  public  eye  *  There 
are  but  few  bright  craftsmen,  we  presume,  who 
have  investigated  its  history,  and  have  not  been 
convinced  that  it  originated  in  a  very  remote  age. 
Its  ceremonies,  language,  signs,  words,  and  usages 
are  ancient.  The  traditions  of  the  Order  carry 
about  them  earmarks  of  antiquity ;  while  the 
truth  of  many  of  them  are  confirmed  by  Kabbini- 
cal  traditions  and  other  traditional  evidence. 
Some  of  the  principal  facts  engrafted  into  the 
body  of  masonry  must  have  been  transmitted 


obligations  to  pay  that  rational  homage  to  Deity  which  at  once  con- 
stitutes our  duty  and  our  happiness. — AM.  Rez.  p.  168. 

*  Some  distinguished  members  of  the  fraternity  are  of  opinion  that 
the  secrets  of  the  Order  consist  in  signs  and  words.  This  opinion 
cannot  be  regarded  as  authority.  But  if  it  be  a  question  of  words,  and 
names,  and  of  your  law,  look  ye  to  it;  for  I  will  be  no  judge  of  such 
matters. — dots  xviii  15. 


152  ANALOGY  OF  MASO^■RT  TO 

orallj  through  many  generations  to  King  Solo- 
mon. But  while  we  would  avoid  any  absurd 
speculation,  we  feel  waiTanted  in  stating  that  the 
symbohcal  degrees  were  perfected  at  the  building 
of  the  first  temple,  or  a  short  time  prior  to  its 
completion.  The  masonic  lectures  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  such  was  the  fact.  We  know,  says 
brother  Mackey,  from  the  traditions  of  our  Order, 
that  it  existed  in  its  present  form  at  the  building 
of  Solomon's  temple :  and  the  enlightened  brethren 
of  the  craft  no  lonsrer  hesitate  to  trace  the  birth  of 
symbohc  masonry  to  that  renowned  spot,  the 
threshing-floor  of  Oman  the  J ebusite.* 

•  Many  distin^ished  Masons  have  claimed  for  the  institution  a 

more  remote  origin.  Some  have  even  contended  that  Adam  was  a 
Mason;  but  the  free  masonry  of  Adam  consisted,  according  to  Dr. 
Olivers  opinion,  in  the  fact  that  he  was  created  beautiful  in  body, 
glorious  in  mind,  perfect  in  righteonsne-ss  and  true  holiness,  and 
without  taint  and  sin. — 1  01.  Land.  p.  493.  Some  have  thought  that 
Noah,  Enoch,  and  Peleg  were  Free  Masons.  And  there  are  some 
cnrious  legends  concerning  Enoch  and  Peleg.  There  is,  in  fact,  a 
degree  called  the  Noachites,  or  Prussian  Cheyaliers,  from  which  the 
following  legend  has  been  extracted  by  Dr.  Oliver.  The  descendants 
of  Noah,  notwithstanding  God  had  appointed  the  rainbow  as  a  token 
of  the  covenant '  that  he  would  not  again  destroy  the  earth  by  an 
universal  deluge,  resolved  to  erect  an  edifice,  which,  by  its  height, 
should  place  them  beyond  the  reach  of  Divine  vengeance.  For  this 
purpose  they  assembled  together  in  the  extended  plain  of  Shinar. 
They  laid  the  foundation,  and  carried  on  the  building  for  ten  years; 
at  which  time  God,  seeing  their  pride,  determined  to  interfere.  He 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  153 

There  are  historical  traces  of  the  existence  of 
the  Order  in  the  age  of  King  Athelstan.  To 

confounded  their  language;  and,  by  this  simple  process,  put  an  end 
to  their  design.  Hence  the  tower  was  called  Babel,  which  signifies 
confusion.  Some  time  after  this,  Nimrod  began  to  establish  degrees 
of  rank  amongst  his  subjects,  which  had  not  existed  before.  He  built 
the  city  of  Babylon,  and  arrogated  to  himself  the  honours  of  Divine 
worship.  It  was  on  the  night  of  the  full  moon,  in  the  month  of 
March,  that  God  confounded  their  language.  And  therefore,  the  Noa- 
chites  held  their  great  meeting  on  that  particular  night;  and  their 
common  monthly  meetings  were  only  held  when  the  moon  was  at 
full,  and  they  used  no  other  light  in  their  lodges.  After  their  lan- 
guage was  confounded,  and  the  people  obliged  to  separate,  each  tribe 
pursued  his  own  course.  Peleg,  who  suggested  the  plan  of  the 
tower,  and  had  been  the  grand  architect  during  its  construction,  being 
struck  with  the  force  of  conscience,  condemned  himself  to  a  most 
rigorous  penance.  He  migrated,  with  his  followers,  to  the  north  of 
Germany,  after  having  suffered  great  miseries  and  encountered  great 
dangers  in  passing  the  mountains  and  plains  in  his  way  thither.  In 
that  part  of  the  country,  which  is  now  called  Prussia,  he  took  up  his 
residence.  Here  he  built  a  triangular  temple,  where  he  enclosed 
himself,  that  he  might  be  at  leisure  to  worship  God  and  implore  him 
to  pardon  his  transgression.  In  the  course  of  excavation  in  the  salt 
mines  of  Prussia,  A.  D.  553,  there  was  discovered,  at  the  depth  of 
fifteen  cubits,  the  foundation  of  a  triangular  edifice,  in  the  centre  of 
which  was  a  small  pillar  of  marble,  on  which  the  above  history  was 
inscribed  in  Hebrew  characters.  A  tomb  was  found,  in  which  an 
agate  stone  was  encrusted,  containing  these  words  :  "Here  were 
deposited  the  ashes  of  the  grand  architect  of  the  tower  of  Babel.  God 
showed  him  mercy,  because  he  humbled  himself."  These  monu- 
ments, says  Dr.  O.,  are  in  the  possession  of  the  King  of  Prussia. — 
a  01.  Land.  p.  63,  note.    Vide  article  in  Masonic  Portfolio,  Sept. 

No.  1847,  on  the  Antiquity  of  the  Order. 
20 


154  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

prove  this,  we  rely  upou  the  most  indubitable 
facts.  Athelstan  granted,  about  the  year  of  our 
Lord,  926,  a  charter  to  his  brother  Edwin  to  open 
and  hold  a  masonic  lodge. — Aid.  Bez.  p.  5.  And 
there  are  some  old  manuscripts  extant,  which 
inform  us  that  the  Order  was  introduced  into 
Britain  at  the  period  of  the  Eoman  invasion,  by 
Ca?sar;  therefore,  it  must  have  existed  before 
that  time  in  another  land.  The  simple  fact  that 
it  existed  then,  affords  the  strongest  presumption 
that  it  has  been  transmitted  to  us  through  the 
lapse  of  ages  reaching  far  beyond  the  time  of  the 
Eoman  invasion  of  Britain.  Alfred,  the  father  of 
English  law  and  hterature,  was  a  Mason.  He 
usually  divided  his  time  into  iliree  equal  partB. 
One  was  employed  in  sleep  and  refection  of  his 
body  by  diet  and  exercise ;  another  in  the  despatch 
of  business ;  a  third  in  study  and  devotion :  and 
that  he  might  more  exactly  measure  the  hours,  he 
made  use  of  burning  tapers  of  equal  length,  which  he 
fixed  in  lanterns. — 1  Humes  Hist.  Eng.  ch.  2,  p.  97. 
It  is  remarkable,  that  the  division  of  the  twenty- 
four  hours  of  the  day  into  three  equal  parts  by 
Alfred,  and  the  purposes  of  that  di^dsion,  agree 
perfectly  with  masonic  usage.  This  king  also  en- 
couraged the  mechanic  arts,  which  once  had  a  very 
close  connection  with  the  operative  part  of  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  155 

Order.  He  invited  and  encouraged  men  of  science 
and  art  to  settle  in  his  dominions.  He  set  apart 
a  seventh  portion  of  his  revenue  for  maintaining  a 
number  of  w^orkmen,  whom  he  constantly  em- 
ployed in  architectural  pursuits. — Ibid.  p.  99. 
The  Encyclopaedia  Americana  says,  that  masonry 
was  introduced  into  Britain  by  Alfred  and  Athel- 
stan,  and  its  members  were  encouraged  for  the 
pnrpose  of  building  castles  and  churches.  The 
language  and  sentiments  of  Alfred  breathed  the 
spirit  of  moral  masonry.  His  fertile  mind  per- 
ceived the  beauty  and  force  of  our  style,  and  drew 
from  it  many  of  his  happiest  figures.  Speaking 
in  reference  to  the  kingly  office  in  one  of  his  para- 
phrases, he  says :  There  are  materials  for  every 
craft,  without  which  a  man  cannot  work  at  his 
craft;  and  a  king  also  must  have  his  materials 
and  tools.  But  all  craft  and  power  will  soon  be 
worn  out  and  put  to  silence,  if  they  be  without 
wisdom.  Whatever  is  done  through  folly,  man 
can  never  make  that  to  be  a  good  craft.  There- 
fore, I  desired  wisdom.  This  is  now  what  I  most 
truly  say.  I  have  desired  to  live  worthily  while 
I  lived,  and  after  my  death  to  leave  to  men  that 
should  be  after  me,  a  remembrance  in  good  works. 
— Clmrtons  Early  Eng.  Church ,  p.  193. 

Up  to  the  year  1720,  there  existed  a  very  old 


156  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

manuscript,  which  contained  the  following  particu- 
lars :  St.  Alban  loved  Masons  well  and  cherished 
them  much,  and  made  their  pay  right  good ;  for 
he  gave  them  two  shillings  per  week  and  three 
pence  to  their  cheer;  whereas,  before  that  time, 
in  fill  the  land,  a  Mason  had  but  a  penny  a  day 
and  his  meat,  until  St.  Alban  mended  itt,  and  he 
gott  them  a  charter  from  the  King  and  his  counsellfor 
to  hold  a  general  counsell,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
Assemlie.  Thereat  he  was  himselfe,  and  did  helpe  to 
make  Masons,  and  gave  them  good  charges. — Masonic 
Lib.  -p.  4.  St.  Alban  was  a  Christian  Mason,  and 
the  first  British  martyr.  It  is  uncertain  who  in- 
troduced the  gospel  of  Christ  into  Britain.  Bishop 
Short,  however,  assumes  it  as  an  undoubted  fact, 
that  Christianity  was  established  there  very  gene- 
rally, before  the  end  of  the  second  century ;  and 
he  sustains  his  statement  by  Tertullian,  who  says : 
That  the  kingdom  of  Christ  was  advanced  in  Gaul 
and  Britain,  and  that  Christ  was  solemnly  wor- 
shipped by  the  inhabitants. — Shorfs  Hist,  of  the 
Church,  p.  2.  There  is  a  tradition  that  Brau,  being 
led  into  captivity,  heard  the  word  at  Rome,  and 
delivered  it  on  his  return  to  his  countrjrmen. — 
Southey  on  the  Church,  p.  9.  But  this  tradition  is 
doubtful ;  and  where  there  is  so  much  uncertainty, 
we  may  indulge  at  least  the  speculation,  that  our 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  157 

Order,  whose  benign  principles  reflect  the  light  of 
the  Word,  prepared  for  the  more  ready  reception 
of  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  into  Britain.  Free 
masonry  existed  in  Britain,  though  not  generally, 
before  the  time  of  St.  Alban ;  but  he  was  invested 
with  its  mysteries  while  he  was  in  the  service  of 
the  Roman  army.  And  it  was  not  until  after  he  re- 
turned from  the  army^  that  he  was  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity. It  is  said,  however,  that  Alban  was 
converted  by  a  Christian  priest  who  fled  to  his 
house  for  safety  and  protection  from  the  persecu- 
tors of  the  day. 

St.  Paul,  it  has  been  supposed  by  some  early 
church  historians,  visited  Britain  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  63 ;  for  about  that  time  he  preached  the 
gospel  in  Spain,  and  is  said  to  "  have  gone  to  the 
utmost  bounds  of  the  west."  It  should  be  remem- 
bered, that  in  the  early  part  of  the  first  century, 
Britain  was  partly  in  possession  of  the  Roman 
colonies.  Now,  free  masonry  was  introduced  into  . 
the  British  island  at  the  period  of  the  Roman  in- 
vasion conducted  by  Caesar,  which  took  place  in 
the  year  55  B.  C.  Our  institution  may  be  said  to 
have  been  the  pioneer  of  Christianity  in  that  coun- 
try, or  to  have  paved  the  way  to  its  introduction. 
Free  masonry,  prior  to  the  Roman  invasion,  was 


158 


ANALOGY  OF  ilASOXBY  TO 


not  known  in  Britain.  It  came,  then,  from  Rome. 
So.  the  apostle  Paul,  after  his  first  imprisonment 
at  Rome,  is  reported  to  have  travelled  to  the  vmt, 
and  preached  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  in  the 
islands  that  lie  in  the  ocean. — Chrr.  Ear.  Enig, 
Church,  p.  17. 

Mr.  ^Vestamacot,  in  concluding  a  course  of  lec- 
tures at  the  London  Roval  Academy,  in  1836,  in 
remarking  upon  the  causes"  which  tended  to  revive 
hterature  and  the  arts  in  the  Middle  Ages,  stated, 
that  there  were  two  principal  causes  :  These  were 
the  Crusades,  and  the  extension,  or  it  might  be 
called  the  establishment  of  the  Free  Masons'  insti- 
tution in  the  north  and  west  of  Europe.  The 
adventm-ers  who  returned  from  the  Holy  Land 
brought  back  some  ideas  of  various  improvements, 
particularly  in  architecture,  and  along  with  these 
a  strong  desire  to  erect  castellated  edifices.  This 
taste  was  spread  into  almost  every  country  by  the 
establishment  of  the  fraternity  of  Free  Masons, 
who  had,  it  appears,  under  some  pecuhar  form 
of  brotherhood,  existed  for  an  immemorial  period 
in  Syria  and  other  parts  of  the  East,  from  whence 
some  bands  of  them  migrated  to  Europe ;  and 
after  a  time,  a  gi'eat  efflux  of  these  ingenious  men, 
ItaUan,  German,  Spanish,  French,  &c.,  had  spread 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  159 

themselves  in  communities  through  all  civilized 
Europe  * — Moore  s  Mag.  May  No.  1842,  p.  215. 


*  Some  of  our  brethren  have  assimilated  free  masonry  to  the  mys- 
teries of  Eleusis,  which  were  instituted  by  Erectheus  or  Ericthonius, 
in  honour  of  Ceres.  Moderns  know  but  very  little  in  regard  to  the 
precise  character  of  these  mysteries,  and  that  which  we  know  should 
be  sufficient  to  satisfy  us  that  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  masonic 
institution  are  entirely  different  from  those  which  were  celebrated  in 
the  plains  of  Eleusis.  Cicero  entertained  a  very  high  opinion  of  the 
latter.  The  following  account  of  their  supposed  ceremonies  is  given 
by  Mr.  Cumberland,  in  his  Observer,  a  work  spoken  of  as  containing 
a  great  deal  of  valuable  research  :  The  Eleusinian  mysteries,  says  he, 
were  celebrated  in  the  time  of  autumn,  every  fifth  year,  at  Eleusis, 
where  a  great  concourse  of  people  met  on  the  occasion.  The  cere- 
monies of  initiation  were  preceded  by  sacrifices,  prayers,  and  ablutions. 
The  candidates  were  exercised  in  trials  of  secrecy,  and  prepared  by 
vows  of  continence  ;  every  circumstance  was  contrived  to  render  the 
art  as  awful  and  striking  as  possible :  the  initiation  was  performed  at 
midnight,  and  the  candidate  was  taken  into  an  interior  sacristy  of  the 
temple,  with  a  myrtle  garland  in  his  hand ;  here  he  was  examined,  if 
he  had  duly  performed  his  stated  ablutions  ;  clean  hands,  a  pure  heart, 
and  a  native  proficiency  in  the  Greek  tongue,  were  indispensable 
requisites.  Having  passed  this  examination,  he  was  admitted  into 
the  temple,  which  was  an  edifice  of  immense  magnitude  :  after  pro- 
clamation made  that  strict  silence  should  be  observed,  the  officiating 
priest  took  out  the  sacred  volume  containing  the  mysteries ;  these 
books  were  written  in  strange  characters,  interspersed  with  figures  of 
animals,  and  various  emblems  and  hieroglyphics.  The  initiated  were 
enjoined  to  honour  their  parents,  to  reverence  the  immortal  gods,  «fec. 
When  this  was  finished,  the  priests  began  to  play  oflf  the  whole 
machinery  of  the  temple  in  all  its  terror,  &c.  Severities  were  exer- 
cised upon  the  initiated  by  persons  unseen. — 1  Tytkrh  Hist.  p.  68,  n. 


160 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRf. 


The  term  ancient  York  masonry  is,  at  the 
present  day,  particularly  used  to  distinguish 
genuine  free  masonry  from  that  which  is  called 
spurious  or  clandestine.  The  term  ancient  York 
masonry,  however,  originated  in  the  fact,  that 
Prince  Edward  summoned  all  the  Masons  in  Eng- 
land, or  Britain,  to  meet  at  York,  where  they  ac- 
cordingly assembled  and  established  a  general 
lodge,  over  which  the  Prince  presided  as  Grand 
Master.  He  brought  with  him  to  the  convocation, 
we  are  told,  all  the  writings  and  records  then 
extant — some  in  Greek,  some  in  Latin,  some  in 
French,  and  other  languages — from  the  contents 
of  which  the  constitutions  and  charges  of  the 
ancient  English  lodge  were  framed. — Davis  Mon. 
p.  22. 

The  design  of  referring  to  the  antiquity  of  our 
institution  must  be  apparent  to  the  reader.  We 
have  merely  glanced  at  the  subject ;  for  it  would 
require  a  large  volume  to  discuss  it.  The  anti- 
quarian will  find  abundant  means  of  gratifying  his 
curiosity  in  the  compilation  and  writings  of  Dr. 
Oliver,  Hutchinson,  Webb,  Cole,  Tannehill,  Chand- 
ler, and  others,  who  have  collected  a  vast  amount 
of  evidence  touching  the  ancient  origin  of  the 
Order. 


LECTURE  VIII. 


The  soul  considered  with  its  Creator,  is  like  one  of  those  mathe- 
matical lines  that  may  draw  nearer  to  another  for  all  eternity  without 
a  possibility  of  touching  it :  and  can  there  be  a  thought  so  transporting- 
as  to  consider  ourselves  in  these  perpetual  approaches  to  Him,  who 
is  not  only  the  standard  of  perfection,  but  of  happiness  ] — Spectator. 

Masonry  includes  within  its  circle  almost  every  branch  of  polite 
learning,  and  under  the  veil  of  its  mysteries  is  comprehended  a 
regular  system  of  science. — AM.  Rez. 

And  God  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it. — Genesis. 

And  now  I  have  sent  a  cunning  man,  endued  with  understanding, 
of  Huram  my  father's,  the  son  of  a  woman  of  the  daughters  of  Dan, 
and  his  father  was  a  man  of  Tyre. — 2  Chronicles. 

And  he  reared  up  the  pillars  before  the  temple,  the  one  on  the  right 
hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left. — Ibid. 

He  will  seek  out  the  secrets  of  grave  sentences,  and  be  conversant 
in  dark  parables. — Proverbs. 

The  period  stipulated  for  rewarding  merit  is 
fixed  in  the  second  degree^  and  the  inimitable 
moral  to  which  that  circumstance  alludes  is 
explained.  The  celestial  and  terrestrial  globes 
are  considered,  and  their  emblematical  character, 

21  0  2  161 


162:  ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 

,  while  the  accompHshed  Mason  is  authorized  to 
elucidate  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  the  various 
.orders  of  architecture,  and  the  five  human  senses. 
— Mas.  Lib.  p.  50.  It  is  not  presumed  that  any 
individual  could  master  all  these  branches  of  study ; 
but  masonry  adapts  itself  to  the  various  capacities 
and  different  tastes  of  men.  K  there  be  any  truth 
in  the  beautiful  conceptions  of  Dick  and  others, 
that  the  sciences  will  engage  the  study  of  the 
redeemed  in  the  world  to  come,  what  boundless 
tracts  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  will  open  for  ever 
to  their  heavenly  vision.  The  human  intellect  is 
rendered  capable  of  perpetual  progress  toward 
perfection;  it  may  be  ever  advancing  and  never 
tiring — approaching  nearer  and  nearer  to  God, 
the  source  of  eternal  wisdom  and  fountain  of  ever- 
lasting life,  and  always  "  enjoying  felicity  in  every 
stage  of  its  career."  Thus  would  the  genius  of 
masonry  ever  direct  our  thoughts  to  the  contem- 
plation of  our  immortal  natures  and  the  consola- 
tions of  religion.  It  is  not  the  spirit  of  religion,  as 
stated;  though  it  would  point  to  the  light  and  bid 
us  follow  it.  It  may  significantly  direct  our 
minds  to  Him  who  is  both  able  and  willing  to 
save;  but '.we  can  only  experience  righteousness 
through  the  gentle  influences  of  the  Holy  One  of 
the  Godhead.    It  will  remind  us,  too,  that  hope 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  163 

—the  smiling  prophet  of  the  future — comes  by 
faith.  Well  may  we  pause  and  consider  whither 
we  are  going,  and  strive  to  add  virtue  to  virtue 
and  knowledge  to  knowledge.  "  A  wide  and  un- 
bounded prospect  lies  before  us." 

The  eloq[uent  Dick  has  ingeniously  traced  out 
the  connection  which  exists  between  the  in- 
tellectual and  scientific  pursuits  of  this  life  and 
those  of  a  future  state  of  being.  He  has  discussed 
the  objects  on  which  the  faculties  of  celestial 
intelligences  will  probably  be  employed,  or  the 
sciences  which  will  be  cultivated  in  the  other 
world :  and  they  are  the  sciences  embraced  in  our 
masonic  lectures.  And  can  it  be,  that  the  Chris- 
tian Mason  will  pursue  eternally  the  study  of 
those  arts  and  sciences  which  constitute  a  portion 
of  the  degree  of  Fellow  Craft  ?  Some  of  them,  we 
have  high  authority  for  believing,  will  be  culti- 
vated in  the  greatest  perfection  in  that  land  of 
promised  glory.*    There,  geometry,  the  first  and 

*  All  the  knowledge  which  can  be  attained  in  the  present  state  is 
but  a  drop  to  the  ocean,  when  compared  with  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge  that  may  be  acquired  in  the  eternal  world.  The 
proportion  between  the  one  and  the  other  may  bear  a  certain  analogy 
to  the  bulk  of  the  terraqueous  globe,  when  compared  with  the  immen- 
sity of  the  worlds  and  systems  which  compose  the  universe.  If  an 
infinite  variety  of  designs,  of  objects,  and  of  scenery  exist  in  the 
distant  provinces  of  creation,  a§  we  have  reason  to  believe,  from  the 


164  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

noblest  of  sciences,  will  be  the  subject  of  investi-. 
gation;  for  by  it  the  spirits  of  the  righteous  may 
discover  the  power,  the  wisdom,  and  goodness  of 
God,  and  view  with  delight  the  proportions  of  the 
universe. — Cross  s  Charts  p.  32.  The  science  of 
form,  beauty,  magnitude,  and  numbers,  will 
occupy,  in  some  degree,  those  purified  intelligences 
which  dwell  in  heaven.  And  is  there  no  heavenly 
music?  The  art  or  science  of  m.usic  is  coeval 
with  the  creation  of  the  world.*    We  know  that 


variety  which  abounds  in  our  terrestrial  system — if  every  world  be 
peopled  with  inhabitants  of  different  species  from  those  of  the  other — 
if  its  physical  constitution  and  external  scenery  be  peculiar  to  itself— 
if  the  dispensations  of  the  Creator  toward  its  inhabitants  be  such  as 
have  not  been  displayed  to  any  other  world — if  the  manifold  wisdom 
of  God,  in  the  arrangement  of  its  destinies,  be  displayed  in  a  manner 
in  which  it  has  never  been  displayed  to  any  other  class  of  intelli- 
gences— and,  in  short,  if  every  province  of  creation  exhibit -d  peculiar 
manifestation  of  Deity — we  may  conclude  that  all  the  knowledge  of  - 
God,  of  his  works  and  dispensations,  which  can  be  attained  in  this 
present  life,  is  but  as  a  faint  glimmering  of  a  taper,  when  contrasted 
with  the  effulgence  of  the  meridian  sun. — Dick^s  Future  State,  p.  52. 

*  The  art  of  music  is  probably  coeval  with  the  existence  of  our 
race,  or  at  least  with  the  first  attempt  to  preserve  the  memory  of 
transactions.  We  have  positive  evidence  of  its  existence  before  the 
deluge.  Before  the  invention  of  writing,  the  history  of  remarkable 
events  was  committed  to  memory  and  handed  down  by  oral  tradition : 
the  knowledge  of  laws  and  of  useful  arts  was  preserved  in  the  same 
way,  and  rhythm  and  song  were  probably  sooi  found  important  helps 
to  the  memory. — Fid.  Diet.  p.  903. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  165 

the  stars  sang  together  then.  Music  is  the  lan- 
guage of  feehng  and  sentiment.  The  stars  which 
mingled  their  harmonious  voices,  and  the  sons  of 
God  which  shouted  for  joy,  were  children  of  light 
and  glory.  Then,  there  was  music  in  heaven, 
when  this  beautiful  creation  arose  out  of  chaos. 
There  is  scriptural  evidence  that  music  was 
known  and  cultivated  before  the  flood:  His 
brother's  name  was  Jubal :  he  was  the  father  of 
all  such  as  handle  the  harp  and  organ. — Gen. 
iv.  21.  Miriam,  the  prophetess,  and  other  women, 
understood  and  practised  this  beautiful  science; 
for  we  are  told  that  she  took  a  timbrel  in  her 
hand ;  and  all  the  women  went  out  after  her,  with 
timbrels  and  with  dances. — Ex.  xv,  20.  David 
exhorted  .every  one  to  praise  God  with  musical 
instruments:  Praise  him  with  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet :  praise  him  with  psaltery  and  harp : 
praise  him  with  the  timbrel  and  dance:  praise 
him  with  stringed  instruments  and  organs :  praise 
him  upon  the  loud  cymbals :  praise  him  upon  the 
high-sounding  cymbals.  Let  every  thing  that 
hath  breath  praise  the  Lord.  Praise  ye  the  Lord. 
— Ps,  cl.  3 — 6.  Then  music  is  a  proper  vehicle 
for  praising  God.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  Elisha  when  the  minstrel  played. — 2  Kings 
iii.  15.    When  David  was  returning  from  the 


166  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

field  of  his  victory  over  the  Philistines,  the  women 
came  out  from  all  the  cities  of  Israel,  singing  and 
dancing,  to  meet  King  Saul,  with  tabrets,  with 
joy,  and  with  instruments  of  music. — 1  Sam. 
xviii.  6.  And  they  answered  one  another  as  they 
played,  and  said,  Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands 
and  David  his  ten  thousands.  Then  music  is  a 
means  of  national  rejoicing. 

Music  was  brought  to  great  perfection  under  the 
administration  of  our  grand  master.  King  Solomon. 
The  worship  in  the  first  temple  consisted  chiefly 
of  songs  of  praise.*  The  notes  of  love  rang  through 
its  hallowed  apartments,  and  floated  in  gentle  ca- 
dences along  its  secret  arches.  Our  ancient  brethren 
chanted,  then,  the.  inspired  psalms  of  David.  How 
rich,  how  solemn,  how  happy  were  those  strains 
of  music  which  arose  like  "a  concord  of  sweet 
sounds,"  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple !  There 
were  the  priests,  one  hundred  and  thirty  of  them, 
to  sound  with  trumpets  :  and  with  them  stood,  at 


*  Music,  of  all  pleasures  the  most  intellectual,  that  glorious  paint- 
ing to  the  ear,  that  rich  mastery  of  the  gloomier  emotions  of  our 
nature,  was  studied  by  the  priesthood  with  a  skill  that  influenced  the 
habits  of  the  country.— Salaihiel,  i.  p.  23.  It  was  always  cultivated 
among  the  Jews  with  much  care,  and  was  employed,  not  only  about 
the  tabernacle  and  temple,  but  also  in  the  common  scenes  of  domestic 
and  social  life. — Bib.  Antiq.  vol.  i.  p.  194. 


NATUEAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  167 

the  east  end  of  the  altar,  the  Levites,  arrayed  in 
white  linen,  having  cymbals,  and  psalteries,  and 
harps  *  The  trumpeters  and  singers  were  as  one. 
Their  music  was  as  one  sound,  praising  and  thank- 
ing the  Lord.  And  when  these  worshippers  lifted 
up  their  voice  with  the  trumpets,  and  cymbals,  and 
instrumeJits  of  music,  and  praised  the  Lord,  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house  of  God. — 2  Chron. 
V.  12—14.  Music,  then,  appropriately  constitutes 
a  part  of  our  beautiful  and  sublime  rites.  It  was 
cultivated  by  our  masters.  It  was  a  means  of 
praising  God  in  the  ancient  temple.  And  is  not 
the  human  heart  a  strange  instrument  of  music? 
"  It  is  a  harp  of  a  thousand  strings."  Let  our 
voices  sing  to  that  sweet  instrument,  and  "give 
forth  its  slumbering  harmony."  How  often  has 
the  hand  of  the  unseen  Spirit  swept  over  its  strings, 
and  moved  the  voice  to  swell  its  tide  of  melody  1 
Oh  let  us  respond  to  the  touches  of  the  Spirit,  and 
fill  our  souls  with  praise !  "  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles" sung  a  hymn  "  ere  they  went  out  to  the 


*  Musical  instruments  of  the  Jews  were  of  three  general  kinds ; 
such  as  had  strings,  such  as  were  played  upon  by  blowing,  and  such 
as  were  sounded  by  being  struck.  Of  the  first  class  were  the  harp 
and  the  psaltery  ;  of  the  second,  the  organ,  the  pipe  of  different  sorts, 
the  horn,  and  the  trumpet;  of  the  last,  the  most  common  were  the 
cymbal  and  the  tabret  or  timbrel. — Bib.  Antiq.  vol.  i.  p.  194. 


168  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Mount  of  Olives."*  And  there  are  songs  in  heaven. 
The  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb  floats  in  glorious 
notes  through  the  arches  of  the  celestial  temple^ 
and  echoes  along  the  undulating  hills  of  eternity. 
And  shall  we  ever  hear  that  music,  behold  that 
temple,  or  survey  those  hills?  Does  the  good 
genius  of  masonry  answer?  Its  voice  is  still. 
Angels  of  mercy,  answer!  Bright  train  of  reli- 
gion, Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity,  answer  us !  May 
we  all  hear  that  song  of  redeeming  love !  If  we 
can  only  ascend  the  ladder  by  its  beautiful  rounds, 
we  shall  hear  the  swelling  tide  of  joy  as  it  rolls  by 
the  throne  of  Jehovah. 

The  subject  of  creation  is  again  brought  to  our 
notice  m  the  Fellow  Craft's  degree :  In  six  days 
God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  rested 
upon  the  seventh  day ;  the  seventh^  therefore,  our 
ancient  brethren  consecrated  as  a  day  of  rest  from 
their  labours;  thereby  enjoying  more  frequent 

*  In  that  solemn  hour,  when  the  Paschal  supper  was  just  closing, 
and  our  Lord  "  sang  a  hymn"  with  his  disciples,  before  he  went 
forth  to  the  last  scene  of  his  trial  and  agony,  we  know,  from  the  voice 
of  tradition  and  the  concurrence  of  all  antiquity,  that  he  adopted,  as 
was  natural,  the  particular  form  always  made  use  of  by  the  Jews' at  the 
end  of  the  Passover.  It  was  called  the  Great  Hallel,  or  hymn  of 
praise,  and  consisted  of  Psalms  cxv.  to  cxviii.  inclusive. — Kip^s  Double 
Witness  of  the  Church,  p.  97.  The  Importance  of  Music  in  Praising 
God.— 1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  464. 


NATURAL  AND  RjfeVEALED  RELIGION.  169 

opportunities  to  contemplate  the  glorious,  works  of 
creation,  and  to  adore  their  great  Creator. — Cross  s 
Chart,  p.  24,  We  cannot  be  too  often  reminded 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not  only  the  author  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  but  that  creation  is  the  great 
work  of  his  power.  Masonry  reminds  us  again 
and  again,  that,  as  the  Spirit  called  out  of  chaos 
the  universe,  form  out  of  that  which  was  without 
form  and  void,  light  out  of  darkness,  so  must 
the  same  Spirit,  the  Comforter,  brood  over  the 
depths  of  sin  and  transgression,  before  light  can 
arise  out  of  darkness.  He  alone  can  call  form  of 
beauty  and  loveliness  out  of  the  melancholy  void. 
Masonry,  in  so  frequently  referring  to  the  creation, 
intended,  it  is  thought,  to  impress  upon  the  mind 
its  typical  character,  and  that  it  shadowed  forth 
the  redemption  of  man.  The  value  or  dignity  of 
the  new  creation  is  commensurate  with  the  stu- 
pendous work  of  the  universe.  Both  were 
intended  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  to  display  his 
handiwork.  And  does  not  the  Christian  brother, 
whose  soul  has  felt  the  gentle  broodings  of  the 
Spirit  over  the  dark  and  gloomy  waste  of  sin, 
know  something  of  this  new  creation?  In  being 
brought  to  the  glorious  light  of  the  gospel,  is  he 
not  conscious  that  the  same  gracious  Spirit  which 
moved  upon  the  face  of  the  deep  in  the  beginning, 

22  P 


170  ANALOGY  OF  MASOJ^RY  TO 

brooded  also  over  the  depths  of  his  benighted  soul  ? 
"  How  majestically  will  the  Spirit  sit  upon  the  flood 
,of  death,"  as  it  comes  sweeping  by  th^  dwelling  of 
the  Christian,  to  bear  him  on  its  bosom  to  the  vast 
ocean  of  eternal  light,  where  he  will  meet  his 
Saviour  walking  on  its  deep  waters,  and  saying ; 
"  Fear  not— it  is  IT 

The  masonic  rite,  then,  of  being  brought  to 
light,  is  not  only  typical,  as  we  have  shown,  of  a 
new  born  soul,  but  necessarily  typifies  a  Mediatory 
through  and  by  whom  we  may,  if  found  worthy, 
be  raised  to  essential  bliss.  Then  we  may  pass 
the  porch  of  the  inner  chamber,  on  our  way  to  the 
holy  of  holies,  and  cross  the  waters  above  the 
firmament,  for  the  Word  will  be  with  us.  And 
there,  and  there  only,  will  be  found  a  sabbath 
day  of  eternal  rest. 

The  vail  which  covers  the  mind  of  the  Fellow 
Craft  may  be  removed  when  he  goes  into  the  holy 
of  holies.  Moses  took  the  vail  from  off  his  face, 
when  he  entered  into  the  tabernacle  before  the 
Lord. — Ex.  xxxiv.  34.  It  was  -then  that  he 
received  a  "  new  irradiation"  of  glory.  The  vail 
was  emblematical  of  the  obscurity  of  the  legal 
dispensation,  and  the  manifested  glory  of  the  Lord 
was  typical  of  the  glory  of  the  Messiah.  The  vail 
which  covers  the  face  of  the  Fellow  Craft  Mason 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  171 

may  be  said  to  be  removed,  when  he  is  admitted 
into  the  ^'sanctum  sanctorum,^'  when  he  receives  a 
new  irradiation  of  the  truth  in  the  solemn  and 
mysterious  developments  of  the  third  degree. 

God  ceased  from  his  labours  upon  the  seventh 
day,  and  the  seventh  day  is  one  consecrated  in 
the  annals  of  our  Order.  The  number  seven  is  a 
mystic  number.  Seven  stars  deck  the  masonic 
canopy.  The  chief  reason  why  it  was  venerated 
by  ancient  craftsmen  was  doubtless  because  God 
hallowed  the  seventh  day  in  the  beginning.  God 
then  sanctified  it.  Seven  is  called  a  perfect  num- 
ber, and  it  is  a  sacred  number.  Dean  Woodhouse 
says  that  seven  is  a  number  expressive  of  imiver- 
sality,  fulness,  and  perfection.  There  was  the 
seventh  consecrated  year  of  jubilee.  Noah 
admitted  the  clean  beasts  by  sevens  into  the  ark. 
There  were  seven  golden  candlesticks;  seven 
sabbatical  years;  seven  years  of  famine;  and 
there  were  seven  priests,  who  blew  the  seven 
trumpets  about  the  walls  of  Jericho.  There  are 
seven  thunders  spoken  of  in  the  Revelation  of  St. 
John.  We  read  that  in  the  midst  of  the  elders 
stood  a  lamb  having  seven  eyes.  There  were 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  the  angels  of  which 
were  the  seven  stars,  in  the  right  hand  of  Him 
who  is  the  first  and  the  last;  of  Him  that  liveth 


172 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  was  dead,  and  is  alive  for  evermore,  and  hath 
the  keys  of  hell  and  death ;  and  which  themselves 
were  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  in  the  midst 
of  which  He  walked. — Rev.  ch.  i.  The  book  of 
seven  seals  had  seven  rolls,;  "so  that,''  says  Bishop 
Newton,  ''the  opening  of  one  seal  only  laid  open  the 
contents  of  one  folir  At  the  opening  of  the  seventh 
seal  there  was  silence  in  heaven  about  the  space 
of  half  an  hour. — Rev.  viii.  1.  In  short,  the  num- 
ber runs  throughout  the  Scriptures,  and  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  most  remarkable  events.  This 
number  was  held  in  veneration  among  many 
nations  of  antiquity,  particularly  among  the 
Hebrews  was  it  regarded  sacred.  "The  Pythago- 
nians,"  says  Mackey,  "  called  it  a  venerable  num- 
ber, because  it  referred  to  creation,  and  because  it 
was  made  up  of  two  perfect  figures — the  triangle 
and  the  square!'"^    It  has  been  wisely  adopted  into 


*  Noah  received  seven  days'  notice  of  the  commencement  of  the 
deluge,  and  was  commanded  to  select  clean  beasts  and  fowls  by 
sevens ;  seven  persons  accompanied  him  into  the  ark ;  the  ark  rested 
on  Mount  Ararat  in  the  seventh  month  :  the  intervals  between  de- 
spatching the  dove  were,  each  time,  seven  days.  The  walls  of  Jericho 
were  encompassed  seven  days  by  seven  priests,  bearing  seven  rams' 
horns.  Solomon's  temple  was  dedicated  in  the  seventh  month,  and 
the  festival  lasted  seven  days ;  the  candlestick  in  the  tabernacle  had 
seven  branches  ;  and  the  tower  of  Babel  was  said  to  have  been  elevated 
seven  stories  before  the  dispersion. — Mack  Lex.  p.  282.    That  seven, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  173 


the  body  of  masonry  ;  for  on  the  seventh  day  God 
ended  his  work  which  he  had  made;  and  God 
blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it :  because 
that  in  it  he  had  rested  from  all  his  work  which 
God  created  and  made. — Gen.  ii.  2,  3.  Every 
Mason  is  taught  to  look  upon  the  sabbath  as  a 
day  which  should  be  specially  devoted  to  rest  and 
worship.  Our  patron  Saint,  while  he  was  an  exile 
and  a  prisoner  in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  consecrated 
the  sabbath  to  meditation  and  prayer.  It  was  on 
the  sabbath  day  that  he  felt  the  full  light  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  says :  "  /  was  in 
the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  dayT  It  was  on  that  day 
that  he  heard  distinctly  the  voice  of  Heaven,  saw 
visions  of  glory,  and  conversed  with  angels,  who 
seemed  as  "palpable  to  feeling  as  to  sight."  On 
that  day — a  day  on  which  our  Lord  triumphed 
over  death  and  hell — St.  John  beheld  our  Lord 
standing  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks; 
and  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars;  and  out 
of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  two-edged  sword;  and 
his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shining  in  his 
strength. 


seventy,  and  seventy-seven  denote  what  was  holy  and  sacred;  that 
seven  days  denotes  the  beginning  of  temptation  ;  that  seven  denotes 
what  is  full  and  entire.—Vide  Heav.  Arcana^  n.  395,  433,  728,  2928. 


p  2 


174 


ANALOGY  OF  MASOXRY  TO 


It  is  a  notable  fact,  that  the  knowledge  of  the 
sabbath  was  at  one  time  lost,  and  so  was  the 
knowledge  of  God  lost."^  The  holy  sabbath,  as  we 
read  in  Nehemiah,  was  made  Ttnown  to  the  Israel- 
ites ;  and,  when  God  delivered  them  from  bondage, 
he  reBtored  X^  them  the  knowledge  of  the  sabbath. 
— Ex.  xvi.  23.  "Was  not  the  sabbath,  then,  a 
typical  day?  The  knowledge  of  it  was  lod.  but 
was  regained.  It  is  typical  of  a  day  of  heavenly 
rest  and  refreshment.  And  as  there  are  six  days 
of  labour  and  one  of  rest,  are  not  the  six  days  of 
labour  emblematical  of  our  probationary  state, 
which  should  be  devoted  to  pious  work,  in  order 
that  we  may  enjoy  a  day  of  eternal  rest?  If,  then, 
the  six  days  of  labour  and  one  of  rest  partake  of  a 
typical  character,  masonry  has  adopted  their 
typical  character,  which  is  truly  sublime.  Our 
work  in  time  borders  on  eternity.  No  geographical 
line  has  ever  been  mapped  out  between  the  two 
kingdoms.    The  liglit  of  the  great  future  breaks 


'  *  As  wickedness  increased  in  the  world,  and  the  true  worship  of 
God  was  corrupted  by  an  almost  universal  idolatry,  so  the  solemn  day 
of  his  worship  was  neglected  likewise.  And  though  it  may  have 
been  revived  after  the  flood,  and  continued  in  some  parts  of  Abraham's 
family,  yet  in  their  Egyptian  slavery  the  observation  of  it  appears  to 
have  been  interrupted.  But  God  renewed  the  commandment  to  the 
Israelites. — D'Oyly  and  Mantes  Com.  Ex.  xvi.  23. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  175 

,  upon  the  soul  along  the  unknown  margni  of  the 
grave ;  and  corruption  is  closely  allied  to  incor- 
ruption,  and  mortality  to  immortality. 

Theologians  inform  us  that  "the  old  sabbath 
commemorated  creation;  the  new,  a  spiritual 
creation,  made  sure  in  the  resurrection."*  The 
Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  sabbath.— Zz^/r^  vi. 
5.  Jesus  Christ  is  God  of  the  sabbath — He  is  God 
our  (Creator.  John  tells  us  so :  In  the  beginning 
was.  the  Word,  and  the  Word  wsis  with  God,  and 
the  Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  begin- 
ning with  God.  All  things  were  made  by  him; 
and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that 
was  made. — -John  i.  1 — 3.  And  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus,  like  the  sabbath,  was  lost  to  the  world.  Re 
was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  hy  him,  and 
the  world  knew  him  not.  He  came  to  his  own,  and  his 
own  received  him  not.- — John  i.  10,  11.  If,  then, 
Jesus  is  the  Lord  of  the  sabbath,  and  he  made  it 


■  *  The  Jewish  sabbath  was  in  commemoration  of  the  exodus  out  of 
Eg-ypt;  the  Christian  sabbath  of  a  more  excellent  deliverance. — 2  Pid. 
Bid.  1064.  We  regard  it  as  a  fact  of  considerable  importance,  in 
proving-  the  Divinity  of  our  holy  religion,  that  from  the  time  of  oui 
Redeemer's  resurrection,  his  disciples  commemorated  that  event  by  a 
weekly  sabbath. — McOwan  on  Sabbath,  p.  54.  The  observance  of 
Sunday  as  the  sabbath,  was  first  passed  into  a  law  (according  to 
Eusebius,)  by  Constantine  the  Great,  A.  D.  321,  and  made  general 
thToughout  the  Roman  Empire. — -1  Eccl.  Bid.  p.  1165. 


176 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  sanctified  it,  and  it  is  a  day  of  rest,  and  is  so 
regarded  in  our  landmarks — a  day  for  contem- 
plating the  works  of  nature  and  adoring  God— is 
not  the  way  of  the  Man  of  Sorrows  in  our  temple  ? 
This  question  is  one  worthy  of  the  most  serious 
consideration.  Are  the  Scriptures  true  ?  The 
book  of  the  law  was  found  in  the  temple.  Was 
that  book  inspired  ?  Our  ancient  Masters  answered 
this  question  long  ago,  and  have  transmitted  their 
testimony  to  us  through  the  channel  of  tradition; 
A  faithful  brotherhood  have  whispered  it  in  the 
ears  of  each  succeeding  clan.  Those  of  the  frater- 
nity who  were  passing  off  the  stage  of  life,  told  it 
to  others  who  were  to  take  their  places  :  and  thus 
the  truth  has  been  sent  on  from  generation  to 
generation. 

The  pillars  which  were  erected  at  the  entrance 
of  the  porch  of  Solomon's  temple  cannot  fail  to 
attract  our  attention.  "  Moreover,"  says  Josephus, 
"  this  Hiram  made  two  hollow  pillars,  whose  out- 
sides  were  of  hrass,  and  the  thickness  of  the  brass 
was  four  fingers'  breadth,  and  the  height  of  the 
pillars  was  eighteen  cubits,  and  the  circumference 
twelve  cubits ;  but  there  was  cast  with  each  of 
their  chapiters  lili/  work,  that  stood  upon  the  pillar, 
and  it  was  elevated  five  cubits,  round  about  which 
was  net  work  interwoven  with  small  palms  made 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  177 

of  brass  and  covered  the  lily  work.  To  this,  also, 
were  hung  two  hundred  pomegranates,  in  two 
rows.  The  one  of  these  pillars  he  set  at  the  right 
hand,  and  called  it  Jachin,  and  the  other  at  the 
left  hand,  and  called  it  Boaz."* 

It  is  supposed  that  these  pillars  had  reference 
to  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  the  pillar  of  fire 
by  nightjf  which  went  before  the  Israelites  in  the 

*  The  following  description  is  given  of  those  famous  pillars  in 
1  Kings  vii.  15 — 22.  And  he  came  (Hiram,  the  widow's  son)  to 
king  Solomon,  and  wrought  all  his  work.  For  he  cast  two  pillars  of 
brass,  of  eighteen  cubits  high  a  piece :  and  a  line  of  twelve  cubits 
did  compass  either  of  thejn  about.  And  he  made  two  chapiters  of 
molten  brass,  to  set  upon  the  tops  of  the  pillars  :  the  height  of  the  one 
chapiter  was  five  cubits,  and  the  height  of  the  other  chapiter  was  five 
cubits  :  and  nets  of  checker  work,  and  wreaths  of  chain  work,  for  the 
chapiters  which  were  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars ;  seven  for  the  one 
chapiter,  and  seven  for  the  other  chapiter.  And  he  made  the  pillars, 
and  two  rows  round  about  upon  the  one  net  work,  to  cover  the  chapi- 
ters that  were  upon  the  top,  with  pomegranates  :  and  so  did  he  for  the 
other  chapiter.  And  the  chapiters  that  were  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars 
were  of  lily  work  in  the  porch,  four  cubits.  And  the  chapiters  upon 
the  two  pillars  had  pomegranantes  also  above,  over  against  the  belly 
which  was  by  the  network :  and  the  pomegranates  were  two  hundred, 
in  rows  round  about  upon  the  other  chapiter.  And  he  set  up  the 
pillars  in  the  porch  of  the  temple :  and  he  set  up  the  right  pillar,  and 
called  the  name  thereof  Jachin :  and  he  set  up  the  left  pillar,  and 
called  the  name  thereof  Boaz.  And  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars  was 
lily  work :  so  was  the  work  of  the  pillars  finished. 

I  That  by  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  denoted 
heaven :  that  the  former  denoted  a  state  of  illustration,  tempered  by 

23 


178 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 


wilderness  ;  and  that  they  were  intended  as  memo- 
rials of  God's  promises. — Star  in  the  East,  p.  104. 
The  Israelites,  who  followed  the  pillar  of  cloud  by 
day  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  typified  the 
followers  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  teach  us  that  if  we 
presume  to  depart  from  the  rules  of  the  true  faith, 
we  must  inevitably  perish.  And  where  is  the 
thoughtful  Fellow  Craft,  who,  when  his  eye  rests 
upon  the  emblematical  pillars  of  masonry,  does 
not  remember  the  promises,  which  the  Lord  made 
to  his  people,  and  how  faithfully  they  have  .all 
been  performed.  These  pillars  should  continually 
remind  us  of  the  goodness  of  our  heavenly  Father 
and  his  kind  providence. 

The  fruit  of  the  pomegranate  tree  is  said  to  be 
beautiful  and  delicious,  and  its  exuberant  seeds 
juicy  and  rich.*  The  spies  from  Eshcol  brought 
with  them  three  kinds  of  fruit,  grapes,  figs,  and 
pomegranates. — Num.  xiii.  23.  The  leaves  of  the 
pomegranate  tree  are  of  livid  green,  and  stand 
opposite  to  each  other,  narrow  and  spear-shaped,, 
about  three  inches  long  and  half  an  inch  broad  in 
the  middle.    The  flowers  come  out  of  the  branches 

the  obscurity  of  truth — the  latter  a  state  of  obscurity,  tempered  by 
illustration  from  good. — Heav.  Area.  n.  8108. 

*  The  pomegranate  tree  is  common  in  Palestine  and  other  parts  of 
the  East.— 2  Ecd.  Diet.  p.  1062. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  179 

singly  or  three  together.  Frequently,  one  of  the 
larger  terminates  the  branch,  and  beneath  that 
are  one^  two,  or  three  smaller  buds,  which  continue 
a  succession  of  blossoms  for  some  months,  giving  a 

i 

continued  brilliancy  to  the  gardens  in  which  they 
grow. — Eccl.  Diet.  Then  how  beautiful  is  the 
emblem  of  the  pomegranate  ! 

The  lily  is  one  of  the  fairest  of  flowers,  and  a 
native  of  the  East*  In  the  14th  chapter  of 
Hosea,  which  contains  a  promise  of  God's  blessing, 
is  the  following  passage:  '^1  will  be  as  the  dew 
unto  Israel:  he  shall  grow  as  the  lili/,  and  cast 
forth  his  roots  as  Lebanon."  Lilies  are  mentioned 
in  Christ's  sermon  on  the  Mount:  And  why  take 
ye  thought  for  raiment  ?  Consider  the  lilies  of 
the  field,  how  they  grow;  they  toil  not,  neither 
do  they  spin :  and  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one 
of  i\iQ^Q,—Matt.  vi.  28. 


f  *  Lilies  are  natives  of  the  East,  and  found  plentifully  growing  in 
the  fields. — Hosea  xiv.  5 ;  Matt.  vi.  28  ;  2  Eccl.  Did.  p.  767.  Horns 
states  that  lilies  were  never  known  to  grow  wild  in  Palestine. — 
2  Home's  Intro.  35,  n.  8.  The  lily  is  repeatedly  alluded  to  in  the 
Scriptures,  as  an  emblem  of  purity.  It  occupied  a  conspicuous  place 
among  the  ornaments  of  the  temple  furniture.  The  brim  of  the 
molten  sea  was  wrought  with  flowers  of  lilies. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  182. 


180  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 

Emblem  of  Him  in  whom  no  stain 
The  eye  of  Heaven  could  see, 
In  all  their  glory  monarchs  vain 
"         -        Are  not  arrayed  like  thee. — Bp.  Home. 

Some  authors  have  supposed  that  the  work  in 
form  of  a  lily  on  the  pillars  of  the  temple  was 
work  in  form  of  the  lotus,  which  greatly  resembled 
the  Hly;  but  there  is  reason  to  doubt  this  opinion. 
— 2  Pid.  Did.  p.  767.  Christ,  in  speaking  of  the 
lily,  seems  to  have  had  his  mind  fixed  on  Solomon 
and  the  lily  work  which  adorned  the  pillars  of  the 
temple.  The  lily,  from  its  whiteness,  was  con- 
sidered by  the  ancients  as  an  emblem  of  purity. 
The  spirits  of  the  just  must  be  arrayed  like  the 
lily;  for  we  read  in  Kevelation  of  the  zvhite-rohed 
multitude^  which  St.  John  beheld  about  the  throne 
of  God. 

The  pillar  which  was  set  up  on  the  right  hand 
in  the  porch,  and  which  was  called  Jachin, 
denoted  establishment,  (Jachin,  that  is,  he  shall 
establish,)  and  the  left  hand  pillar  denoted 
strength,  (Boaz,  that  is,  strength.) — Clarices  Com. 
1  Kings  vii.  21.  The  learned  commentator 
believes  these  pillars  to  have  been  emblematical; 
for,  notwithstanding  their  names,  they  supported 
no  part  of  the  building.  Those  who  would  seek 
admission,  or  gain  an  audience  in  the  holy  of 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  181 


holies  of  our  mystic  temple,  must  pass  ly  the 
representatives  of  these  pillars.  Mark  well  the 
entering  in  of  the  house. — Ezeh.  xiv.  1.  The 
pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  of  fire  by  night  were 
the  visible  means  of  the  deliverance  of  the  Israel- 
ites.* Christ  is  the  means  of  deliverance  from  sin, 
that  which  makes  bondsmen  of  us  all.  It  is  hy 
Him  we  must  pass,  if  we  ever  reach  the  skies. 

The  pillars,  Jachin  and  Boaz,  were  cast  in  the 
plains  of  J ordan,  in  the  clay  ground  between  Succoth 
and  Zarthan. — 1  Kings  vii.  46.  Mark,  they  were 
cast  hetiveen  Succoth  and  Zarthan,  and  in  clay 
ground.  Why  is  the  place  and  the  manner  of 
casting  them  so  particularly  described?  Why  tell 
us  they  were  cast  on  clay  ground,  and  hetween 
Succoth  and  Zarthan?  We  have  a  masonic 
Reason:  The  Christian  church— the  whole  plan 
of  redemption — is  founded  upon  the  human  nature 
of  Christ,  and  man  was  fashioned  out  of  the  dust 


*  It  has  been  supposed  that  Solomon,  in  erecting  the  two  pillars 
called  Jachin  and  Boaz,  had  reference  to  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  the 
pillar  of  fire  which  went  before  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness ;  and 
that  the  right  hand  or  south  pillar  represented  the  pillar  of  cloud,  and 
the  left  hand  the  pillar  of  fire. — Mack.  Lex.  235.  The  first  piece  of 
workmanship  in  which  Hiram  Abif  was  engaged^  was  the  construction 
of  these  brass  pillars.  They  were  designed,  says  Pyle,  to  bear  allu- 
sion to  the  two  memorable  pillars  of  fire  and  of  cloud  which  conducted 
the  Israelites  from  Egypt., 

Q 


1:82  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  13  ■ 

— clay  ground.  The  Son  of  God  is  the  second 
person  in  the  holy  Trinity,  and  between  the  Father 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  pillars  were  not 
intended  merely  for  ornament,  though  they  were 
fine  specimens  of  architecture.  They  were  cast 
hollow,  says  Josephus,  and  were  intended  to  sub- 
serve some  useful  purpose.  And  Hiram,  the 
builder,  cast  them.  King  Solomon  sent  and 
fetched  Hiram  out  of  Tyre.  He  was  a  widow's 
son,  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  was  filled  with 
wisdom  and  understanding,  and  cunning,  to  work  in 
all  works  in  brass,  that  were  durable.  In  second 
Chronicles  he  is  spoken  of  after  this  manner: 
"Did  Huram  his  father  make  to  king  Solomon." 
The  words  Huram  ab,  or  Huram  abif  are  those 
contained  in  the  original  language.— C'/ar^^'^  Com. 
2  Chron.  iv.  16.  The  word  ab  or  abif  means 
father.  It  is  often  used,  said  Dr.  Clarke,  in  the 
Hebrew  to  signify  master,  inventor,  chief  operator. 
The  name,  says  brother  Mackey,  given  to  the 
chief  architect  in  the  lodge,  is  derived  from  the 
Hebrew  words  Huram  abif.  The  most  literal 
translation  of  abif  \^  father.  It  is  a  word  of  en- 
dearment. Kemember  the  language  of  St.  Paul: 
Ye  have  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we 
cry  Abba,  Father.  And  it  was  by  adoption  that 
the  builder  is  called  Huram  abif.    He  was  one  of 


I 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  183 

the  founders  of  our  sublime  institution — of  our 
symbolical  or  ethical  system.  At  least,  upon  his 
works  and  life  it  mainly  rests.  And  was  not 
there  something  typical  in  the  very  name  of  our 
ancient  master  ?  Would  it  be  fanciful  to  say  that 
it  typified  the  two  natures  of  Christ,  the  human 
and  Divine,  ihd^i  Huram  was  typical  of  the  former, 
and  AUf  of  the  latter  ?  The  Christian  church  is 
founded  upon  the  human  and  Divine  nature  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

How  powerfully  is  truth  elucidated  in  our 
lodges,  and  yet  there  are  many  among  us  and  of 
us  upon  whom  it  has  made  no  lasting  impression ! 
They  take  now  no  thought  of  the  future ;  but  the 
hour  will  come  when  they  must  cross  the  flood  of 
death,  and  may  be  eternally  lost^  for  want  of  the 
Word.  Christ  is  the  Word.  In  the  heginning  he 
was  the  Word.    "  Take  heed,  lest  ye  perish." 

A  Mason,  before  he  can  be  lawfully  recognised 
as  such,  mw^i  prove  himself.  When  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  heard  of  the  fame  of  Solomon  concerning 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  she  visited  him  to  prove 
him  with  hard  questions.  She  communed  with 
him,  and  he  answered  all  her  questions.  "Exa- 
mine me,  0  Lord,  and  prove  me,"  said  the  Psalmist, 
in  the  integrity  of  his  heart.  Tr?/  me  and  prove 
me;  try  my  worth  and  piety.    Look  into  my  soul; 


184  ANALOGY  OF  MASONKY  TO 

examine  all  my  feelings,  thoughts  and  affections. 
I  am  no  hypocrite — no  impostor.  0  Lord,  examine 
and  prove  me. 

Masons  are  viewed  as  men  fraternizing  said  work- 
ing together.  Each  one  must  work,  too,  for  him- 
self, though  we  must  bear  one  another's  burdens, 
and  so  fulfil  the  law.  But  every  one  must  prove 
his  own  work. — Gal.  yL  2,  4.  While  it  is  the 
duty  of  Christians  and  the  members  of  our 
fraternity  to  sympathize  with  the  distressed,  and 
love  one  another,  and  do  unto  all  men  as  they 
would  they  should  do  unto  them,  they  must  not 
forget  that  they  have  other  work  to  do,  and 
that  the  work  must  be  inspected  d^indi  p)roved  hy  One 
wha  is  both  able  and  willing  to  inspect  and  prove 
every  living  stone  which  may  be  taken  thither. 
All  must  be  tried,  and  found  worthy  of  the  Lamb 
which  was  slain.  Jesus  died  that  sinners  might 
live.  The  Entered  Apprentice  and  the  Fellow 
Craft  have  an  interest  in  the  blood  which  was 
shed.  We  are  all  of  one  blood  and  one  flesh. 
Being  justified  by  blood,  we  can  be  saved  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  and  pass  the  road  of  death  with  a 
glorious  assurance  of  a  resurrection.  Peace  was 
made  through  the  blood  of  Jesus;  and  through 
his  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension,  a  bright  in- 
heritance substituted  in  the  place  of  our  hsi  inno- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  185 

cence.  Our  garments  are  made  white  through  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb. — Rev.  vii.  14.  Michael  and 
his  angels  overcame  the  dragon  by  the  hlood  of  the 
Lamb,  and  by  the  Word  of  their  testimony.  The 
life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  hlood,  and  I  have  given  it 
to  you  upon  the  altar  to  make  an  atonement  for  the 
soul. — Lev.  xvii.  11.  And,  says  the  apostle, 
almost  all  things  are  by  the  law  purged  with 
blood;  and  without  shedding  of  blood  is  no  re- 
mission.— Heh.  ix.  22. 

Let  each  craftsman  seriously  reflect  how  and  in 
what  way  he  was  made  a  Master,  or  became  en- 
titled to  have  the  third  degree  conferred  upon  him, 
and  he  must  perceive  the  consistency  and  harmony 
of  the  several  degrees  wdth  the  sublime  doctrines 
of  Him  who  rules  in  mercy.  The  Entered  Ap- 
prentice, advancing  to  the  inner  chamber,  through 
whicli  he  must  pass  to  find  an  entran^ce  to  the 
third  apartment  of  the  edifice,  may  learn  a  beau- 
tiful and  instructive  lesson.  Let  us  look  for  a 
moment  upon  the  emblems  which  are  delineated 
on  the  Fellow  Craft's  tracing  board,*  just  beyond 
the  pillars  representing  those  which  stood  at  the 
porch  of  the  temple.    There  is  a  flight  of  winding 

*  The  tracing  board  is  a  painting  or  engraving  representing  the 
emblems  peculiar  to  a  degree,  arranged  for  the  convenience  of  the  lec- 
turer.— Mack.  Lex.  315. 

24  q2 


186 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


steps,  and  at  the  head  of  the  stairway  is  repre- 
sented a  brother  clad  and  jeweled,  and  standing, 
as  it  were,  and  waiting  to  receive  the  candidate, 
who  is  supposed  to  be  advancing.  The  plate  is 
faint,  but  the  door  appears  not  to  be  entirely 
closed.  It  seems  to  be  represented  as  being  partly 
open,  while  the  keeper  is  ready  to  invite  him  in, 
if  his  learning  be  good,  if  he  has  improved  his 
time  and  opportunities,  and  has  kept  his  white 
apron  unspotted  from  the  world.  He  proves  him- 
self  and  on.    He  surveys  the  temple  of  the 

universe,  and  gazes  upon  its  splendid  architecture,- 
and  the  wisdom,  strength,  and  beauty  of  the 
whole.  But  beyond  is  another  plate  which  repre- 
sents another  of  the  craft,  clothed  and  jeweled  also, 
and  standing  in  the  middle  of  an  open  door.  The 
candidate  we  may  suppose  to  have  passed  the 
first  station,  which  may  account,  in  some  measure, 
for  the  second  door  being  represented  as  open,  and 
the  sentinel  waiting  to  receive  him,  as  one  who 
has  a  right  to  pass  into  the  presence  of  him  who 
stands  before  the  altar,  with  the  letter  G*  sus- 


*  The  letter  G,  which  ornaments  the  lodge,  is  not  only  expressive 
of  the  name  of  the  Grand  Architect  of  the  universe,  but  also  denotes 
the  science  of  geometry,  so  necessary  to  artists.  The  adoption  of  it 
by  free  masons  implies  no  more  than  their  respect  for  those  inventions 
which  demonstrate  to  the  world  the  power,  the  wisdom,  and  bene- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  187 

pended  above  him  in  a  halo  of  glory.*  These 
emblems  appear  to  contain  an  allegory,  or  a  part 
of  a  continued  allegory.  Their  meaning  is  vailed. 
In  rhetoric  and  belles-lettres,  an  allegory  is  defined 
as  a  continued  metaphor,  as  it  is  the  representa- 
tion of  something  by  another  that  resembles  it, 
and  that  is  made  to  stand  for  it.f — Blair  s  Rhet. 
p.  168.  There  are  many  allegories  in  the  holy 
writings.  Dr.  Blair  has  selected  a  fine  example 
of  one,  which  will  be  found  in  the  80th  Psalm,  and 
represents  the  people  of  God  under  the  image  of  a 
vine  :  "  Thou  hast  brought  a  vine  out  of  Egypt : 
thou  hast  cast  out  the  heathen  and  planted  it. 
Thou  preparedst  room  before  it,  and  didst  cause  it 
to  take  deep  root,  and  it  filled  the  land.    The  hills 

licence  of  the  Almighty  Builder,  in  the  works  of  creation. — Ahi.  Rez. 
p.  149.  The  patriarchs  held  that  it  was  the  duty  of  man  to  fear  God, 
to  bless  him  for  mercies  received,  and  supplicate  him  with  profound 
humility  :  that  the  knowledge  of  God  is  to  be  promoted;  vows  made 
to  him  are  to  be  performed;  and  that  idolatry  is  to  be  renounced.— 
1  Eccles.  Did.  p.  515. 

*  There  are  three  species  or  kinds  of  allegory,  which,  under  the 
literal  sense  of  the  w^ords,  conceals  a  foreign  or  distant  meaning:  1st. 
The  allegory  properly  so  called,  which  is  a  continued  metaphor.  2d. 
The  parable  or  similitude ;  and  3d.  The  mystical  allegory,  in  which 
a  double  meaning  is  couched  under  the  same  words. — Home's  Intro. 
p.  364. 

f  We  read  of  a  door  opened  in  heaven. — Rev.  iv.  1.  Christ  opened 
the  door  of  faith  unto  the  Gentiles. — Ads  xiv.  27. 


188 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


were  covered  with  the  shadow  of  it,  and  the 
boughs  thereof  were"  hke  the  goodly  cedars.  She 
sent  out  her  boughs  unto  the  sea  and  her  branches 
unto  the  river.  Why  hast  thou  broken  down  her 
hedges,  so  that  all  they  which  pass  by  the.  way  do 
pluck  her  ?  The  bo^r  out  of  the  wood  doth  waste 
it,  and  the  wild  beast  of  the  field  doth  devour  it. 
Return,  we  beseech  thee,  0  God  of  hosts :  Loolc 
down  from  heaven,  and  hehold,  and  vidt  this  vine." 

We  remarked  in  our  introductory  lecture  that 
the  fraternity  of  Masons  spoke  a  peculiar  language, 
consisting  of  signs,  emblems,  figures,  and  universal 
words.*  And,  in  their  peculiar  dialect,  an  allegory 
mBy  be  adjusted,  which  will  vail  and  convey  its 
meaning  in  a  more  pleasing  and  captivating  style 
than  any  which  could  be  originated  by  the  most 
accomplished  rhetorician,  in  his  mother  tongue. 
Take  the  fragment  of  the  allegory  to  which  we 
have  referred,  as  forming  a  portion  of  the  degree 

*  Language  is  now  provincial,  and  the  dialects  of  different  nations 
could  not  be  comprehensible  to  men  ignorant  and  unlettered.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  using  expressions  cognisable  by  people  of  all  nations. 
Masons  are  possessed  of  that  universal  expression,  and  of  such 
remains  of  the  original  language  that  they  can  communicate  their 
history,  their  wants,  and  prayers  to  every  brother  Mason  throughout 
the  globe. — Ahi.  Rez.  191.  The  universal  language  and  universal  laws 
are  called  the  landmarks  of  our  Order,  which  it  is  not  in  the  power  of 
any  man  or  body  of  men  to  alter. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  189 

.  of  Fellow  Craft,  and  examine  it  carefully,  and  it 
will  be  found  perfectly  consistent  with  the  rules 
of  rhetoric.  Its  moral  or  unfigured  meaning  is 
purposely  obscure.  Its  sense  is  neither  too  bare 
nor  too  open,  and  when  viewed  in  connection  with 
that  which  precedes  it,  it  will  be  found  an  affair  of 
great  nicety.  It  is  happily  conceived  and  admira- 
bly executed.  It  is  only  hy  and  through  the  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost  that  the  soid  of  man  can  gain  an  audience 
with  the  Father^  or  pass  into  his  holy  presence.  And 
the  light  of  eternity  is  around  and  about  the  throne. 
Christ  is  our  mediator  and  the  Spirit  our  comforter. 
Through  their  blessed  interposition  we  may  all 
find  our  way  to  the  grand  lodge  above.  There 
the  brethren  may  find  everlasting  peace,  unity,  and 
plenty.    They  who  are  acquainted  with  the  Lord 

'  are  at  peace.  And  they  who  seek  peace  shall  find 
it.  The  end  of  the  perfect  man  is  peace.  God 
speaks  ^^ac^  unto  his  people  and  all  his  saints. 
They  who  obey  his  law  will  have  great  peace. 
The  inspired  poet  spoke  of  Jesus,  long  before  his 
coming,  as  the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting 
Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace.  But  there  is  no  peace 
for  the  wicked.  They  may  cry  continually  peace, 
peace,  when  there  is  no  peace.  But  God  will  call 
the  righteous  to  peace.  The  Lord  of  love  and  peace 
will  be  with  them  for  ever  and  ever.    Then,  there 


190 


ANALOaY  OF  MASONKY  TO 


is  peace  in  the  presence  chamber  of  our  Master  in 
heaven.  There  will  be  found  unity  and  also. 
All  dwell  there  together  in  unit?/,  and  their  souls 
are  filled  with  plenteous  joy.  The  Lord  is  plenteous 
in  mercy,  and  with  him  is  plenteous  redemption. 
The  harvest  even  in  time  is  plenteous,  but  the 
lahourers  are  few.  If  men  would  only  learn  and 
obey  the  word,  it  would  conduct  them  to  a  land  of 
peace,  unity,  and  plenty.  The  Word  has  great 
power.  It  made  the  world.  It  was  heard  in  the 
midst  of  the  thunders  of  Sinai.  The  Word  is  the 
law,  and  the  Word  gave  the  law.  It  is  a  sure  and 
heavenly  guide.  It  led  the .  Israelites  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  often  went  before  them.  The 
Word  will  call  the  souls  of  the  righteous  to  glory. 
It  will  go  down  with  them  into  the  grave,  and  will  raise 
them  at  the  final  day.  It  is  the  true  Word.  How 
precious  is  the  Word !  It  was  made  hnoim  through 
the  blood  of  Christ.  Its  power  was  witnessed  in 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  though  it  availed  him 
not  upon  the  cross.  His  prayer  to  the  Father  was 
in  vain.  There  was  no  help  for  the  Son  of  God. 
Christ  was  in  deep  distress  and  eocireme  agony  when 
he  offered  up  this  prayer.  It  was  when  he  hung 
upon  the  cross  and  a  few  minutes  before  he  yielded 
up  the  ghost  that  he  prayed ;  for  about  the  ninth 
hour  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and  jittered  these 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  191 

remarkable  words,  with  his  hands  uplifted  and 
nailed  to  the  tree:  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani ? 
That  is  to  say,  m?/  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me? — Matt,  xxvii.  46.  These  words 
were  heard  in  heaven.  They  fell  upon  the  ear  of 
the  Eternal  Father,  and  the  vibrating  voice  of  the 
dying  Saviour  unstrung  the  harps  of  angels  and 
silenced  the  minstrelsy  of  the  skies.  The  charter 
of  gospel  liberty  could  only  be  written  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  sealed  with  his  precious 
life-drops.    The  words:     3Iy  God,  my  God,  why 

'  hast  thou  forsaken  mef^  were  uttered  prophetically 
by  David.  Indeed,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  22d 
psalm  was  prophetical  of  the  passion,  sufferings, 

. .  resurrection,  and  triumph  of  the  Lord  our  Master, 
who  underwent  a  spiritual  desertion.  This  psalm, 
'having  been  composed  before  the  erection  of  the 
first  temple,  Solomon,  the  Son  of  David,  must 


*  Bishop  Home,  commenting  on  these  words,  says :  That  Christ, 
the  beloved  son  of  the  Father,  when  hanging-  on  the  cross,  complained 
in  these  words,  that  he  was  deprived  for  a  time  of  the  Divine  presence 
and  comforting  influence,  while  he  suffered  for  our  sins.  If  the 
Master  thus  underwent  the  trial  of  a  spiritual  desertion,  why  doth  the 
disciple  think  it  strange  unless  the  light  of  heaven  shine  continually 
upon  his  tabernacle  \  Let  us  comfort  ourselves,  in  such  circum- 
stances, with  the  thought  that  we  are  thereby  conformed  to  the  image 
of  our  dying  Lord — that  sun  which  s^t  in  a  cloud,  to  arise  without 
one. — 5jt).  Home,  on  Psalms, 


,192       "  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

have  been  made  acquainted  with  its  prophetical 
character ;  and  hence  a  Master  Mason  may  readily 
account  for  the  very  striking  analogy  to  which  we 
have  hinted.  ,  -  : 

The  lifting  up  of  hands  may  be  said  to  be  a 
scriptural  sign  of  intercession,  as  when  one  lifts 
up  the  hands  in  prayer  for  Divine  succour  and 
relief.  Our  Saviour,  says  a  learned  commentator, 
often  prayed  for  his  people,  and  interceded  for 
them  with  his  hands  lifted  up  toward  heaven. 
When  David  prayed  to  be  deli^^red  from  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  he  said.  Hear  the  voice  of 
my  supplications,  when  I  cry  unto  thee,  when  I 
lift  up  my  hands  toward  thy  holy  oracle. — : 
Ps.  xxviii.  2.  Again,  in  the  sixty-third  psalm, 
where  he  expresses  his  confidence  of  the  de- 
struction of  his  enemies  and  his  own  safety,  he 
says,  speaking  of  his  manner  of  blessing  God — 

Then  will  I  bless  thee  while  I  live:  I  will  lift  up 
my  hands  in  thy  name."  In  a  time  of  deep  distress,, 
and  when  his  soul  was  full  of  troubles,  he  prayed 
for  help,  and  said,  Lord,  I  have  called  daily  upon 
thee,  I  have  stretched  out  my  hands  unto  thee." 

The  mind  of  the  Fellow  Craft  (to  recapitulate) 
has  been  taught  to  reflect  upon  both  the  moral 
and  material  universe.  While  an  Entered  Ap- 
prentice, he  was  reminded  of  the  necessity  of 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  193 

divesting  his  soul  and  conscience  of  all  evil;  he 
beheld,  as  it  were,  rays  of  light  emanating  from 
that  radiant  Star  in  the  midst  of  the  pavement; 
he  wore  then  and  continues  to  wear  an  emblem 
of  innocence — a  lamh-sMn.  He  has  seen  and 
passed  by  the  theological  ladder.  He  has  been 
impressed  with  the  holiness  of  the  holy  Mount; 
the  beauty  and  efficacy  of  prayer;  the  necessity 
of  an  humble  and  contrite  spirit;  his  blindness  by 
nature;  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God,  who 
alone  can  bring  him  to  light ;  the  checkered  scenes 
of  life;  its  wants  and  necessities;  its  cares  and 
trials ;  its  lights  and  shades.  But  he  is  surrounded 
by  an  all-wise  and  merciful  Providence.  His 
thoughts  are  directed  to  heaven,  and  the  truth  of 
the  Scriptures.  All  the  greater  and  lesser  lights 
have  been  shining  on  him.  The  cardinal  virtues 
have  been  elucidated,  and  Faith,  Hope,  and 
Charity.  The  lives,  manners,  and  doctrines  of 
our  patron  Saints  have  necessarily  passed  in 
review.  The  circle,  its  perfect  point  and  double 
triangles,  and  the  ground  floor  of  our  moral  edifice, 
have  been  surveyed.  He  has  contemplated  the 
beauties  of  holiness.  He  has  passed  to  the  inner 
chamber,  and  dwelt  with  infinite  delight  on  the 
universe  of  matter  and  the  universe  of  mind.  The 
Bible  has  enabled  him  to  read  more  clearly  the 

25  R 


194 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


volume  of  nature.  The  arts  and  sciences  have 
furnished  him  subjects  for  study  and  investigation. 
He  has  had  an  opportunity  to  contemplate  the 
progress  of  mind,  it^  vast  and  ever-enlarging 
empire.  And  all  these  would  lead  him  to  a 
knowledge  of  God  and  immortality.  They  would 
introduce  him  to  Jehovah,  and  teach  him  to  bow 
before  his  ineffable  name.  Are  we  not  ever 
in  the  presence  of  God?  The  immortal  mind  is 
conscious  of  a  God.  The  external  universe  tells 
of  a  God.    And  will  we  not  adore  and  praise  him  ? 

There  is  something  exceedingly  grand  and 
fearful  in  the  view  which  is  taken  in  one  of  the 
Bridgewater  Treatises  of  the  elements.  "  What  a 
strange  chaos  is  this  wide  atmosphere  we  breathe ! 
Every  atom,  impressed  with  good  and  with  ill, 
retains  at  once  the  motions  which  philosophers 
and  sages  have  imparted  to  it,  mixed  and  com- 
bined in  ten  thousand  ways  with  all  that  is  worth- 
less and  base.  The  air  itself  is  a  vast  library,  on 
whose  pages  are  for  ever  written  all  that  man  has 
ever  said  or  ever  whispered.  There,  in  their 
mutable  but  unerring  characters,  mixed  with  the 
earliest  as  well  as  the  latest  sighs  of  mortality, 
stand  for  ever  recorded  vows  unredeemed,  promises 
unfulfilled,  perpetuating  in  the  united  movements 
of  each  particle,  the  testimony  of  man's  changeful 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  195 

will."  Then,  the  air  we  breathe  will  condemn  the 
wicked  and  testify  for  the  righteous.  All  nature 
will  cry  out  against  ungrateful  and  guilty  men, 
who  at  the  judgment  will  appeal  in  vain  to  the 
rocks  and  mountains  to  fall  on  them  and  hide 
them  from  their  Maker.  If  they  seek  shelter  in 
the  clefts  of  the  rocks  and  the  caverns  of  the  earth, 
they  will  be  forced  from  their  hiding-places  to  face 
the  Judge,  confess  their  crimes,  and  hear  their 
sentence. 

The  first  two  degrees  contain  beautiful  illustra- 
tions of  a  good  life.  The  Christian  Fellow  Craft 
puts  faith  in  God,  and  can  ask  God  to  try  him — 
that  God  who  was  known  to  our  fathers  by  the 
name  of  1  Am.  Is  the  Christian  Mason  about  to  die  ? 
He  may  commune  with  God.  /  Am — tri/  me! 
Try  me,  and  tell  me  if  my  soul  can  safely  pass  the 
way  of  peril,  or  go  through  the  dark  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  with  firmness  and  integrity  ?  I 
know  that  I  will  rise  at  the  last  day ;  but  will  it 
be  to  a  glorious  resurrection  ?  Will  my  body  be 
taken  up  into  heaven  ?  /  Am  !^  the  God  of  Abra- 
ham, the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob — 


*  The  words  I  am  have  been  variously  understood,    "  They  seem," 
says  Dr.  Clarke,  "  to  point  out  the  eternity  and  self-existence  of  God 
and  that  eternity  and  self-existence  are  symbolized  in  free  masonry. 


196       '  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 

try  me !  Try  me  with  the  plumb,  and  try  me 
with  the  square  * 

*  To  try  the  works  of  every  Mason,  the  square  is  presented  as  the 
probation  of  his  life — proving  whether  his  manners  are  regular  and 
uniform ;  for  Masons  should  be  of  one  principle  and  one  rank,  with- 
out distinctions  of  pride  and  pageantry :  intimating  that  from  high  to 
low  the  minds  of  Masons  should  be  inclined  to  good  works,  above 
which  no  man  stands  exalted  by  his  fortune. — Ahi.  Rez.  p.  125,  note. 


LECTURE  IX. 


The  crowning  splendour  of  all  was  the  central  temple,  the  place  of 
the  sanctuary  and  of  the  holy  of  holies,  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  its 
roof  planted  with  lofty  spearheads  of  gold,  the  most  precious  marble 
and  metals  everywhere  flashing  back  the  day,  till  Mount  Moriah  stood 
forth  to  the  eye  of  the  stranger  approaching  Jerusalem,  what  it  had 
been  so  often  described  by  its  bards  and  people,  a  "  Mountain  of  snow 
studded  with  jewels." — Croly. 

In  reading  the  Bible,  we  always  look,  as  it  were,  on  the  same  land- 
scape ;  the  only  difference  being,  as  we  take  in  more  and  more  of  its 
statements,  that  more  and  more  of  the  mist  is  rolled  away  from  the 
horizon,  so  that  the  eye  includes  a  broader  sweep  of  beauty. — Melvill. 

A  creature  which  is  to  pass  a  small  portion  of  its  existence  in  one 
..state,  to  he  preparatory  to  another,  ought,  no  doubt,  to  have  its  attention 
constantly  fixed  upon  its  ulterior  and  permanent  destination. — Paley. 

Though  abstinence  from  sin  cannot  of  itself  take  away  the  power 
of  it,  yet  it  will  put  the  heart  in  a  state  oi preparedness  for  grace  to  take 
it  away. -—South. 

David,  before  he  was  numbered  with  his  fathers, 
charged  Solomon  his  son  to  erect  that  magnificent 
structure,  the  first  temple.*    Although  the  Psalm- 

*  According  to  the  opinions  of  some  writers,  there  were  three 
temples,  viz.  the  first  erected  by  Solomon ;  the  second  by  Zerubbabel 
and  Joshua,  the  high  priest ;  and  the  third  by  Herod,  a  few  years 

r2  197 


198 


ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


ist  had  prepared  the  costHest  materials  for  the 
building,  and  the  richest  furniture  for  its  courts, 
it  was  never  intended  by  the  Almighty  that  the 
warrior  king  should  rear  that  sanctuary.  God, 
however,  permitted  him  and  his  loyal  people  to 
contribute  to  the  great  enterprise;  and  for  this 
David  thanked  and  praised  God's  glorious  name. 
"Now,  therefore,"  said  he,  "our  God,  we  thank 
thee,  and  praise  thy  glorious  name.  But  who  am 
I,  and  what  is  my  people,  that  we  should  be  able 
to  offer  so  willingly  after  this  sort?"  And  well 
might  his  majesty  ask,  "  Who  am  /.?"  He  was 
going  the  way  of  all  the  earth.  He  was  in  view 
of  dusty  death.  The  grave  would  soon  receive  his 
body.  The  glitter  of  his  earthly  diadem  could 
not  light  up  his  countenance,  or  throw  a  radiance 
over  his  tomb.  Death  knew  not  his  royalty. 
That  harp,  whose  strings  had  oft  been  swept  with 
the  sweetest  notes  of  praise  and  harmony,  was 
soon  to  be  stilled  for  ever.  And  when  his  end 
drew  nigh,  David  said  to  Solomon  :  My  son,  as  for 
me,  it  was  in  my  mind  to  build  a  house  unto  the 
name  of  the  Lord  my  God;  but  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  me  saying,  thou  hast  shed  blood 


before  the  birth  of  Christ.  But  this  opinion  is  very  properly  rejected 
by  the  Jews,  who  do  not  allow  the  third  to  be  a  new  temple,  but  only 
the  second  temple  rebuilt. — 2  Hornets  Intro.  98. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  199 

abundantly  and  hast  made  great  wars:  thou  shalt 
not  build  a  house  unto  my  name,  because  thou 
hast  shed  much  blood  upon  the  earth  in  my  sight. 
— 1  Chron.  xxii.  7,  8.  So  the  blood  of  war  was 
upon  David,  and  God  forbade  him  to  erect  the  con- 
templated house  of  worship — a  place  for  the  ark  of 
the  covenant.  The  work  was  given  in  charge  to 
his  successor.  David*  slept  with  his  fathers, 
Solomon  ascended  the  throne,  and  in  his  reign  the 
stately  edifice  was  reared.  Calling  to  his  council 
Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  and  Hiram,  the  widow's  son, 
the  work  progressed,  and  in  about  seven  years  and 
six  months  it  was  finished.  "  It  was  magnifical, 
of  fame  and  glory,  throughout  all  countries."  It 
is  difficult  for  us  to  form  any  adequate  idea  of  its 
proportions  ;f  but  we  know  that  it  was  a  costly 
and  splendid  temple,  and  that  there  was  "  nothing 


*  David  was  born  in  the  year  of  the  world  2919.  Solomon  born 
2971. 

f  Various  attempts  have  been  made  to  describe  the  proportions  and 
several  parts  of  this  structure ;  but  as  no  two  writers  agree  on  this 
subject,  a  minute  description  of  it  may  be  very  properly  omitted.  It 
retained  its  pristine  splendour  only  thirty-three  or  thirty-four  years, 
when  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  took  Jerusalem  and  carried  away  the 
treasures  of  the  temple  ;  and  after  undergoing  subsequent  profanations 
and  pillages,  this  stupendous  building  was  finally  plundered  and 
burnt  by  the  Chaldaeans  under  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  the  year  of  the 
world  3416,  or  before  Christ,  584.-2  Home's  Intro,  p.  98. 


200 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


in  the  whole  world  like  it  for  riches  and  glory." 
There  are  many  descriptions  of  it,  but  their  authors 
lived  long  after  it  was  destroyed,  and  therefore  we 
cannot  rely  on  their  accuracy,  except  so  far  as  they 
agree  with  the  description  contained  in  the  Bible. 
There  are  also  many  extravagant  accounts  of  its 
cost.  It  has  been  estimated  that  there  was  con- 
sumed in  the  building  more  gold  and  silver  than 
at  present  exists  upon  the  whole  earth. — 2  01. 
Land.  p.  273.*  Much,  however,  which  has  been 
written  upon  this  subject  is  entirely  too  vague  and 
uncertain  to  command  our  belief.  But  the  cost  of 
the  temple  can  be  of  little  importance  in  advancing 
the  object  we  have  in  view.  Its  location,  design, 
smd  manner  of  erection  are  the  essential  matters  for 
our  consideration,  and  which  will  serve  to  eluci- 
date our  subject. 

The  house,  when  it  was  in  building,  was  built 
of  stone,  made  ready  before  it  was  brought  thither : 
so  that  there  was  neither  hammer  nor  ax  nor  any 
tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house,  while  it  was  in 
building. — 1  Kings  vi.  7. 


*  David  and  his  princes,  we  know,  contributed  108,000  talents  of 
gold,  1,017,000  talents  of  silver,  both  which  together  amounted  to 
about  942,719,750  pounds  sterling,  and  in  weight  amounted  to  about 
46,000  tons  of  gold  and  silver.— Did.  Temple. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  201 

-  .  "In  awful  state, 

The  temple  reared  its  everlasting  gate. 
No  workman's  steel,  no  ponderous  axes  rung ! 
Like  some  tall  palm  the  noiseless  fabric  sprung." 

How  skilful  must  have  been  all  the  craftsmen. 
Every  stone  had  a  place  assigned  to  it  before 
leaving  the  quarry.  The  timbers  were  also  pre- 
pared in  the  forests  of  Lebanon.  Immense  blocks 
of  marble  and  large  timbers  were  fitted  for  the 
builder's  use,  and  the  whole  was  put  together  with 
mathematical  precision,  and  with  the  assistance, 
says  Dr.  Clarke,  of  wooden  mallets.  And  the 
building  was  covered  in  with  radiant  plates  and 
spearheads  of  gold.  The  magnificence  of  the 
structure  was  only  surpassed  by  the  grandeur  of 
its  worship. 

Free  masonry  is  connected  with  every  apart- 
ment of  Solomon's  temple  and  its  religious  service. 
It  is  associated  with  that  great  building  from  its 
foundation  to  its  last  and  crowning  stone.  It  is  a 
system  of  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies,  "made 
compact  together"  by  our  ancient  Masters ;  and  as 
the  Jewish  religion  was  designed  to  be  only  pre- 
paratory to  a  future  and  better  revelation,  so 
before  the  advent  of  the  Messiah  our  ancient 
brethren  perceived  in  free  masonry  traces  of  a  full 
and  perfect  dispensation.    If  the  Jewish  religion 

26  '  { 


202  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

contained  promises  of  better  things,*  each  step  in 
masonry  is  an  advance  toward  a  greater  light,  and 
each  degree  preparatory  to  another  and  a  higher. 
Among  Christians,  the  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies 
have  passed  away.  The  temple  of  Solomon  is  no 
more.  It  fell  beneath  the  hand  of  the  spoiler.  It 
long  since  became  a  heap  of  dust  and  ashes.  But 
the  masonic  edifice  was  constructed  of  imperishable 
materials.  In  some  moral  Lebanon,  waving  with 
the  rich  emblems  of  immortality,  its  ancient 
builders  found  the  true  lignum  vitce.  Its  blocks  of 
thought  are  purer  than  Parian  marble,  and  its 
pillars  more  majestic  than  J achin  and  Boaz.  Con- 
secrated genius,  the  miner  that  ever  searches  for 
the  richest  ore,  struck  the  deepest  veins  of  wisdom, 
and  furnished  plates  of  truth  and  spearheads  of 
reason  for  its  roof,  upon  which  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness now  shines  in  splendour,  and  flashes  back 
the  immortality  of  man. 

The  temple  of  Solomon  arose  in  mysterious 


*  Christianity,  after  all,  is  but  Judaism  in  a  more  advanced  stage; 
and  it  must,  therefore,  be  our  wisdom  to  trace  carefully  the  religion  in 
its  progress  toward  perfection,  if  we  hope  to  comprehend  it  when  that 
perfection  was  reached. — Mel.  Ser.  p.  414.  So  it  may  be  said  that  if 
we  would  understand  the  principles  or  mysteries  of  masonry,  we  must 
trace  them  carefully  through  the  several  degrees,  for  they  are  gradu- 
ally developed  or  brought  to  light. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  203 

silence :  "  Tlier^  was  neither  hammer  nor  ax  nor  any 
tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house,  while  it  was  in  building T 
Then,  there  was  no  noise  made  in  its  construction. 
That  very  stillness  was  a  ti/pe.  The  temple  was  a 
type  of  the  kingdom  of  God;  and  the  souls  of  men 
are  to  be  prepared  here  for  that  place  of  blessed- 
ness. The  stones  must  be  all  squared  and  fitted 
here  for  their  place  in  the  new  Jerusalem;  and 
being  living  stones,  must  be  built  up  a  holy  temple 
for  a  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit. — 
Clarices  Coin.  1  Kings  vi.  9. 

0  God,  how  beautiful  and  vast 

Men's  minds  and  fancies  grow, 
When,  in  thy  mould  of  doctrine  cast. 

Their  warm  ideas  flow! 
When  'tis  thy  church  inspires  the  thought, 

And  forms  the  bold  design. 
Till,  from  a  sullen  rock,  is  wrought 

A  symbol  so  divine  ! 

Coxe's  Christ.  Ballads,  p.  94. 

Truly  was  our  mystic  temple  erected  in  silence. 
All  its  splendid  materials  were  prepared  and 
numbered  before  they  were  placed  in  the  building. 
And  the  silent  work  which  goes  on  in  and  about 
our  lodges  should  continually  remind  us  of  the 
mysterious  ways  of  Providence,  and  his  secret 
operations.  The  silence  which  reigned  at  the 
building  of  Solomon's  temple,  and  the  secrecy  of 


204 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONKY  TO 


our  moral  work,  teach  that  quietude  of  soul  and 
rapturous  joy  which  exist  in  heaven  *  Silence 
might  be  said  to  be  emblematical  of  a  heart  at 
peace  with  God.  The  silence  which  was  preserved 
at  the  building  of  the  temple,  we  have  said  was 
mysterious,  and  what  is  not  mysterious  ?  There 
is  mystery  in  every  thing.  There  is  mystery 
within  us  and  mystery  without  us.f  In  the 
beautiful  but  complicated  structure  of  man — a 
tenement  of  clay,  a  temple  of  flesh — -there  are  many 
strange  and  wonderful  things.  In  the  person  of 
Adam  arose  a  magnificent  structure,  and  it  was 
erected  by  a  great  and  mysterious  Being — the 
Architect  of  the  universe.  Originally,  it  was  a 
fit  temple  for  the  worship  of  the  Almighty.  The 
home  of  clay  is  still  a  strange  but  ruined  structure. 
There  are  secrets  in  and  about  its  every  apartment. 
Veins,  arteries,  ligaments,  and  flesh,  and  bone, 


*  The  silence  which  was  observed  in  building  Solomon's  temple 
may  remind  us  of  the  secret  operations  of  God  in  the  souls  of  men, 
and  of  the  peace  of  heaven. — Brad.  Ser.  p.  21.  This  excellent  dis- 
course has  suggested  to  our  mind  some  of  the  thoughts  contained  in 
the  above  lecture. 

f  By  a  silent,  unseen,  mysterious  process,  the  fairest  flower  of  the 
garden  springs  from  a  small,  insignificant  seed ;  the  majestic  oak  of 
the  forest  from  an  acorn ;  the  strongest  and  wisest  man  from  a 
wretched,  helpless,  and  senseless  infant :  the  holy  and  exalted  soul 
from  a  miserable  sinner. — Hornets  Disc.  p.  29. 


■    NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  205 

have  their  secrets.  The  bloody  which  animates 
the  human  frame^  flows  on  in  silence.  And  how 
quiet  are  the  communings  of  the  heart.  There 
are  feehngSj  and  thoughts,  and  sympathies,  which 
never  emerge  from  their  solitary  retreats.  And 
who  has  ever  heard  those  mighty  spirits,  which 
walk  so  majestically  in  history,  or  those  associated 
events  and  principles  which  have  come  down  from 
the  past  ?  Time,  with  a  quiet  and  noiseless  hand, 
is  continually  drawing  out  the  invisible  wires 
which  connect  century  with  century,  those  mystic 
lines  which  enable  us  to  commune  with  the 
remotest  ages.  Yes,  there  is  mystery  every- 
where; mystery  in  the  present,  mystery  in  the 
past,  and  mystery  in  the  future. 

To  number  every  mystery  were  to  sum  the  sum  of  all  things  : 
None  can  exhaust  a  theme,  whereof  God  is  example  and  similitude. 
Nevertheless  take  a  garland  from  the  garden,  a  handful  from  the 
harvest, 

Some  scattered  drops  of  spray  from  the  ceaseless,  mighty  cataract. 
Whence  are  we — whither  do  we  tend — how  do  we  feel  and  reason "? 
How  strange  a  thing  is  man,  a  spirit  saturating  clay  ! 
Where  doth  the  soul  make  embryos  immortal — how  do  they  rank 
hereafter — 

And  will  the  unconscious  idiot  be  quenched  in  death  as  nothing  ? 
«  »  *  *  *  »  * 

O  mysteries,  ye  are  all  one :  the  mind  of  an  inexplicable  architect 
Dwelleth  alike  in  each,  quickening  and  moving  in  them  all. 

2  Tup.  Pro.  Phi. 

..  .  s  ' 


206 


ANALOaY  OP  MASO^'R^  TO 


We  have  noted  the  time  it  took  to  construct  ' 
Solomon's  temple.  But  there  was  great  prepara- 
tion for  it.  It  was  the  work  of  years,  labour,  and 
skill.  The  workmen  were  diligent  and  untiring 
in  their  efforts  to  aid  and  assist  each  other  injt?rev 
paring  the  materials  and  putting  them  up.  And 
there  were  many  engaged  in  the  great  under- 
taking. No  less  than  seventy  thousand  Entered 
Apprentices,  eighty  thousand  Fellow  Crafts,  and 
thh'ty-three  hundred  overseers  of  the  work,  besides 
three  Grand  Masters,  devoted  more  than  seven 
yeaiV  labour  on  the  building.*  This  is  a  very 
striking  portion  of  the  history  of  that  enterprise, 
which  was  conceived  by  David  and  executed 
under  the  direction  of  Solomon.  Let  us  reflect 
upon  the  preparations  which  were  made;  the  vast 
number  of  workmen  employed;  the  industry  and 

*  This  construction  of  the  grand  edifice  was  attended  with  many 
remarkable  circumstances.  From  Josephus  we  learn,  that  although 
more  than  seven  years  were  occupied  in  building  it,  yet  during  the 
whole  term  it  rained  not  in  the  day  time,  that  the  workmen  might  not 
be  obstructed  in  their  labour.  This  famous  fabric  was  supported  by 
1453  columns,  and  2906  pilasters,  all  hewn  from  the  finest  Parian 
marble.  There  were  employed  in  its  building  three  Grand  Masters, 
three  thousand  and  three  hundred  overseers  of  the  work ;  eighty 
thousand  Fellow  Crafts,  and  seventy  thousand  Entered  Apprentices. 
All  these  were  classed  and  arranged  in  such  a  manner  by  the  wisdom 
of  Solomon,  that  universal  peace  and  order  prevailed. — JIM.  Rez. 
p.  186. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  207 

ability  of  those  ;workmen ;  and  the  time  they  were 
engaged.  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  sent  his  servants 
unto  Solomon;  for  he  had  heard  that  Solomon 
was  anointed  king  in  the  room  of  his  father :  for 
Hiram  was  a  lover  of  David,  and  he  knew  that 
Solomon  purposed  to  build  a  house  unto  the  name 
of  the  Lord  his  God. — 1  Kings  v.  1 — 5.  And 
these  servants  prepared  all  the  timbers  and  stones 
in  the  forests  and  quarries.  The  cedars  were  all 
cut  and  squared,  and  were  conveyed  "by  sea  in 
floats  unto  the  place"  that  Solomon  appointed.  It 
will  be  observed  that  the  Scriptures  are  silent  as 
to  the  place  to  which  they  were  conveyed  by  sea. 
Dr.  Clarke  says,  that  they  might  be  readily  sent 
down  the  coast  on  rafts,  and  landed  at  Joppa  or 
Jamnia,  just  opposite  to  Jerusalem,  at  the  distance 
of  twenty-five  miles.  The  stones  were  hewed, 
squared,  and  numbered.  The  materials*  then 
were  all  prepared,  and  had  only  to  be  put  together 
when  they  arrived  at  Jerusalem.  What  beautiful 
and  moral  lessons  are  derived  from  the  preparation 
of  those  materials.    Noah  prepared  for  the  flood. 


*  "  The  pieces  of  timber,"  says  Calmet,  "  were  conveyed  from  the 
high  parts  of  the  mountains  to  the  river  Adonis,  or  to  the  plains  of 
Biblos ;  thence  they  were  conveyed  to  the  seaport,  where  they  were 
placed  on  rafts,  to  be  carried  by  sea  to  the  port  of  Joppa,  which  was 
the  nearest  port  to  Jerusalem. 


208  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO        ■■  .  '.  C    V  / 

Abraham  prepared  to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac  as  a 
sacrifice.  God  prepared  for  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah :  he  was  announced  through  signs,  sym- 
bols, types,  ceremonies,  and  prophecies.  The 
Lord  prepared  for  the  establishment  of  his  church 
on  eaith,  and  is  preparing  materials  for  his  church 
in  heaven.  Their  foundation  stones  were  laid 
soon  after  the  fall  of  man.  The  Israelites  prepared 
to  take  possession  of  the  promised  land.  By  the 
command  of  Joshua,  the  officers  of  the  people 
passed  through  the  hosts  and  commanded  them, 
saying:  Prepare  you  victuals;  for  within  three 
days  ye  shall  pass  over  this  Jordan,  to  go  in  to 
possess  the  land,  which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth 
you  to  possess  it. — Josh.  i.  11.  0,  prepare  mercy 
and  truth,  sung  David. — Ps.  Ixi.  7.  Prepare  your 
hearts  unto  the  Lord,  and  serve  him  only. — 1  Sam. 
vii.  3.  John  the  Baptist  prepared  for  the  way  of 
the  Lord.  The  preparation  of  the  heart  in  man, 
and  the  answer  of  the  tongue,  is  from  the  Lord. 
— Prov.  xvi.  1.  Then  preparation  is  very  essen- 
tial. Do  -we prepare  for  a  journey?  We  must  all 
travel  the  way  our  fathers  have  gone  before  us. 
We  are  even  now  on  our  journey  to  the  city  of 
the  dead,  many  of  us  wholly  unprepared.  Hope 
is  on  this  side  of  the  grave,  and  faith  comes  before 
hope.    We  must  have  faith  in  God,  and  experience 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  209 

a  living  sense  of  our  lost  condition,  before  we  can 
hope  for  salvation.  Repent  and  believe,  say  the 
Scriptures.  Hope  prepares  us  to  look  for  something 
good.  Its  beautiful  light  is  ever  before  the  Chris- 
tian in  time,  and  on  his  journey  to  the  Holy  Land. 
Then  the  preparation  of  the  materials  of  the  temple 
is  replete  with  heavenly  meaning.  The  gradual 
erection  of  the  edifice  tells  us  that  the  change  of 
the  heart  is  not  always  the  work  of  a  day.  The 
new  birth  has  its  period  of  conception  and  gesta- 
tion, which  must  precede  the  righteous  Spirit 
coming  down  into  a  world  of  lovely  and  beautiful 
things.     -  ^  ,.* 

And  the  preparation  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking  is  beautifully  elucidated  in  our  masonic, 
degrees.  The  degree  of  the  Entered  Apprentice 
implies  the  necessity  of  preparation.  The  Entered 
Apprentice  should  prepare  himself  for  the  second 
degree,  and  be  made  ready  to  take  it.  He  should 
never  go  down  to  Jerusalem  until  he  can  carry 
with  him  a  proper  specimen  of  his  work,  prepared 
in  pursuance  of  the  designs  laid  down  on  the 
tracing-board.  Then  he  may  become  a  Fellow 
Craft,  and  be  furnished  with  the  necessary  tools  to 
mark  and  adjust  his  work.  The  art  and  science 
of  masonry  must  be  learned  gradually.  It  has 
several  departments,  various  steps  and  degrees. 

27  8  2 


210 


AITALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


We  must  place  our  feet  on  the  first  round  of  the 
masonic  or  theological  ladder,  before  we  can  ascend 
the  second  and  we  must  receive  the  degree  of 
Entered  Apprentice,  before  we  can  obtain  the 
Fellow  Craft,  and  the  Fellow  Craft  before  the. 
degree  of  Master  Mason.  Then,  how  complete  is 
the  analogy  between  the  work  of  speculative 
masonry  and  the  preparation  of  the  materials  for 
king  Solomon's  temple.  And  what  does  the 
argument  by  way  of  analogy  demonstrate  ?  Every 
moral  truth  which  the  preparation  of  the  materials 
df  the  temple  teaches,  our  masonic  preparation 
also  illustrates.  It  would  be  wise  in  us  to  think 
often  of  the  necessity  of  preparation  to  be 
advanced  in  light  and  knowledge.  Let  it  be 
deeply  impressed  .  on,  our  minds  and  strictly 
observed.  *     ^  ■ 

Again :  "  There  was  neither  hammer  nor  ax 
nor  any  tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house,  while  it 
was  in  building."  The  sound  of  hammers,  axes, 
and  other  metal  tools  were  doubtless  heard  in  the 
forests  and  quarries,  where  the  timbers  and  stones 
were  being  prepared.  There  are  material  agen- 
cies used  in  preparing  the  souls  of  men  to  think 
and  consider  of  their  immortal  nature,  and  in 
making  them  readt/  to  repent  of  their  sins ;  but  the 
Son  of  God,  that  gracious  and  unseen,  Being,  is 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  211 

preparing  a  house  not  made  with  hands.  Every 
stone  is  adjusted  in  silence,  and  no  noise  will  ever 
be  heard  in  that  house  while  it  is  in  building; 
though  when  the  great  day  of  dedication  shall 
conle,  all  the  holy  angels  will  bring  forth  its  cope- 
stone  with  shouting  and  praise.  The  material 
universe  may  impress  us  with  the  belief  of  a  First 
Cause,  its  Master  Builder;  the  dew,  the  sunshine, 
and  rain  may  tell  us  of  his  goodness  and  mercy ; 
human  instruments  may  be  used  to  prepare  us  for 
worshipping  God  with  an  humble  and  contrite 
spirit;  but  the  unseen  God  alone  can  give  us 
saving  grace.  His  great  work  of  mercy  goes  on 
silently/  on  earth  and  in  heaven.  And  what  sub- 
lime stillness  should  pervade  the  mind,  when  it 
thinks  of  the  might,  and  majesty  and  dominion  of 
Jehovah.  Let  the  silent  prayer  ascend;  let  the 
pure  incense  go  up  unseen  from  off  the  altar  of  a 
repentant  soul.  Our  hearts  are  all  beating  their 
silent  and  "  funeral  marches  to  the  grave."  Their 
muffled  notes  will  become  silent  after  death.  The 
clods  of  the  valley  may  fall  on  our  coffins  and  give 
back  mournful  and  hollow  sounds;  but  there  is  an 
awful  stillness  in  the  tomb.  There  is  but  very 
little  noise  in  building  the  cities  of  the  dead. 
Here  and  there  comes  a  pale  visitor,  and  he  takes 
a  house  already  huilt  and  prepared  to  receive  him. 


212  ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Oh !  how  silent  are  the  tenantry  of  those  narrow 
mansions!  Even  the  reptiles  come  and  go  into 
them  to  their  repast,  and  no  man  knows  whence 
they  conie  or  whither  they  go.  The?/  wake  not  the 
sleepers.  But  there  is  an  on-coming  day,  when  all 
the  earth  shall  give  up  its  dead.  There  is  One 
with  whom  dwells  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 
/  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life^  saith  the  Lord. 

But  what  was  the  object  of  building  the  temple 
of  Solomon  ?  One  purpose,  we  are  informed,  was, 
that  it  might  be  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  nations. 
But  this  was  not  its  only  purpose.  God  intended 
to  make  it  the  seat  of  his  visible  presence,  or  the 
place  of  his  habitation.*  It  was  not  designed, 
thought  an  eminent  commentator,  to  be  a  place  of 
worship  m,  but  a  place  of  worship  at,  where  God 
was  known  to  have  a  peculiar  residejice.-f  This 
worship  at  the  temple,  and  peculiar  residence  in  the 
temple,  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  worship  at  the 
temple  of  a  redeemed  soul,  and  the  peculiar  residence 

*  The  temple  of  Solomon  was  not  built  for  this  single  purpose, 
that  it  might  be  "  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  nations."  It  was  designed 
to  be  a  habitation  of  God,  the  seat  of  his  presence,  and  a  monument 
to  his  name. — Brad.  Ser.  p.  23. 

f  The  residence  of  glory,  first  in  the  tabernacle  and  then  in  the 
temple,  was  a  figure  of  the  residence  of  God  by  his  Spirit  in  the 
Christian  church,  and  his  eternal  residence  in  that  church  brought  to 
perfection  in  heaven, — 1  Horne's  Intro.  385. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  213 

of  the  Spirit  in  that  temple.  He  dwells  in  the 
soul  of  a  righteous  man.  The  Holy  Spirit  comes 
down  into  the  soul  and  regenerates  it,  and  makes 
it  fit  for  his  presence— to  peculiar  residence.  The 
olden  temple  was  prepared  and  finished  before  the 
Lord  of  glory  descended  into  the  holy  of  holies  and 
dwelt  beneath  the  outstretched  wings  of  the  cheru- 
bim, above  the  mercy-seat.  So  must  the  heart  of 
the  sinner  he  prepared  and  made  ready  for  the  holy 
presence  of  the  Lord.  Then  his  Spirit  will  abide 
in  it,  and  his  glory  fill  it. 

The  peculiar  residence  of  the  indwelling  of  the 
Spirit  would  seem  to  be  taught  in  the  principles 
of  the  craft.  We  celebrate  the  dedication  of  the 
temple.  The  ceremony  of  the  most  excellent 
Master's  degree  closes  with  the  following  passage 
of  Scripture :  Now  when  Solomon  had  made  an 
end  of  praying,  the  fire  came  down  from  heaven, 
and  consumed  the  burnt  ofiering  and  the  sacrifices ; 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house.  And 
the  priest  could  not  enter  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  because  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the 
Lord's  house.  And  when  all  the  children  of  Israel 
saw  how  the  fire  came  down,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  upon  the  house,  they  bowed  themselves  with 
their  faces  to  the  ground  upon  the  pavement,  and 
worshipped,  and  praised  the  Lord,  saying,  For  he  is 


214  ANALoar  or  masonry  to 

good ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.— 2  Chron. 
vii.  1 — 3.  Cross  s  Charts  96.  The  King  of  glory 
had  descended;  and  who  was  the  King  of  glory? 
The  Lord,  strong  and  mighty.  "  The  Lord  of 
Hosts,  he  is  the  King  of  glory."  And  the  follow- 
ing psalm  is  also  read  during  the  ceremony  :  I  wae 
glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  Let  us  go  into  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  -Our  feet  shall  stand  within 
thy  gates,  0.  Jerusalem.  Jerusalem  is  builded  as 
a  city  that  is  compact  together  :  whither  the  tribes 
go  up,  the  tribes  of  the  Lord,  unto  the  testimony 
of  Israel,  to  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  For  there  are  set  thrones  of  judgment,  the 
thrones  of  the  house  of  David.  Pray  for  the  peace 
of  Jerusalem :  they  shall  prosper  that  love  thee. 
Peace  be  within  thy  walls,  and  prosperity  within 
thy  palaces.  For  my  brethren  and  companions' 
sakes,  I  will  now  say.  Peace  be  within  thee.* — Ps. 
cxxii..  Cross's  Chart y  91.  And  why  is  this  Scripture 
read  in  our  lodges,  or  chapters  ?  Let  us  remember 
that  the  Jews  were  taken  captive  into  Babylon  by 

*  Bishop  Home  supposes  that  the  subject  of  this  psalm  is  that  joy 
which  the  people  were  wont  to  express,  upon  their  going  up  in  com- 
panies, to  keep  a  feast  at  Jerusalem,  when  the  Divine  services  were 
regulated,  and  that  city  was  appointed  to  be  the  place  of  public  wor- 
ship. Dr.  Clarke  seems  to  think  it  had  some  leference  to  the  captivity 
and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  We  know  its  beautiful  application  in 
the  most  excellent  Master's  degree. 


< 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  215 

Nebuchadnezzar  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
They  had  been  seventy  years  in  the  land  of  their 
captivity,  and  they  longed  to  return  to  their  native 
city.  Jerusalem  was  their  own  city.  It  had 
been  built  up  by  their  hands  and  the  hands  of 
their  fathers.  Destruction  had  come  upon  it. 
The  spoiler  had  been  there  and  carried  its  inhabi- 
tants away  in  chains.  Their  hallowed  temple 
was  laid  in  ruins,  and  they  were  exiles.  Dr. 
Clarke,  in  commenting  on  the  above  psalm,  puts 
the  following  words  in  their  mouth :  Our  heart 
was  in  Jerusalem,  but  our  feet  are  in  Chaldea. 
Now,  God  has  turned  our  captivity,  and  our  feet 
shall  shortly  stand  within  the  gates  of  Jerusalem !" 
The  whole  of  this  psalm  is  a  finished  and  sublime 
picture  of  the  beauty  and  prosperity  of  Jerusalem, 
after  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  The  city  was 
to  be  rebuilt.  Its  gorgeous  towers  and  temples 
were  to  be  builded  "  compact  together,"  and  there 
were  to  .be  set  thrones  of  judgment,  the  thrones  of 
the  house  of  David.  Thither  were  "  the  tribes  to 
go  up,  the  tribes  of  the  Lord."*    And  what  for? 


*  The  true  Israelite,  amidst  the  dangers  of  his  earthly  pilgrimage 
and  warfare,  looketh  continually  toward  the  heavenly  city,  whither  he 
.  is  travelling.    Faith  showeth  him  afar  off  the  everlasting  hills  from 
.  whence  cometh  the  help  which  must  bring  him  in  safety  to  them.  He 


216  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

"  Tb  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Why  pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem,  why  for  the 
brethren  and  companions'  sake  did  David  sing  : 
"  Peace  be  unto  thee  ?"  Because  he  loved  his 
brethren,  and  "  because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord 
our  God."  Let  us  impress  on  our  minds  the  beau- 
tiful masonic  lesson  which  is  contained  in  the 
sentiments  of  David.  It  embraces,  in  a  few  words, 
the  principles  upon  which  our  sublime  edifice  is 
founded,  and  by  which  it  was  builded  and  remains 
compact  together.  David  loved  his  brethren  and 
his  God.  "  Peace  he  within  thee  f  Jerusalem  was 
the  home  of  his  brethren.  Peace  be  within  thee. 
Because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God  I  will 
seek  thy  good." 

But  why  do  we  read  so  much  of  the  Scriptures 
in  our  lodges  and  chapters  ?  And  such  significant 
portions  of  the  Scriptures  ?  What  does  the  usage 
mean  ?  It  surely  means  something.  There  must 
be  some  reason  for  it.  Free  masonry,  we  have 
repeatedly  stated,  was  founded  on  the  truths  of 
the  Bible,  which  it  endeavours  to  enforce  by  scenic 
representations  and  ceremonies.  Can  any  rational 
or  well-informed  Mason  deny  this  ?    Before  he 


lifteth  up  his  eyes  in  prayer  to  the  Almighty,  whose  temple  and 
habitation  are  thereon. — Bp,  Horne. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  217 

does  SO,  let  him  destroy  the  landmarks  of  the 
Order,  and  the  temple  also,  before  he  would  carry 
it«  worshippers  into  a  strange  land;  for  they 
would  long  to  return  to  their  native  hills,  the  rites 
and  traditions  of  their  fathers,  and  the  sublime 
and  soul-touching  associations  of  Moriah. 

It  was  when  Solomon  had  made  an  end  of  pray- 
ing, that  the  fire  came  down  from  heaven ;  hut  it 
was  before  the  fire  came  down,  that  the  cloud  of  God's 
glory  descended,  and  that  the  Almighty  was  made 
manifest  in  the  sanctum  sanctorum.  It  was  on  the 
day  of  dedication,*  and  the  year  of  dedication  was 
a  jubilee.  The  silver  trumpets  had  ushered  it  in 
amidst  the  rejoicing  of  all  the  people.  The  elders 
of  Israel  had  been  assembled  in  the  devoted  city 
of  Jerusalem.  Solomon  had  summoned  them  to 
meet  together  for  a  holy  purpose.  The  stately 
temple  was  completed.  It  towered  in  all  its 
grandeur.  It  was  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
the  world.  The  craftsmen  were  all  present  at  the 
dedication. 

"  They  had  no  more  occasion  for  level  or  plumb-line, 
For  trowel  or  gavel,  for  compass  or  square." 

*  When  a  masonic  hall  has  been  erected,  it  is  dedicated  with 
certain  well-known  and  impressive  ceremonies,  to  masonry,  virtue, 
and  universal  benevolence. — Mack.  Lex.  65.  Corn,  wine,  and  oil  are 
masonic  elements  used  at  the  dedication. 

28  T 


218 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Their  work  was  all  finished,  and  the  ark  of  the 
Covenant  was  about  to  be  brought  up  ^'  out  of  the 
city  of  David,  which  is  Zion."  How  sublime  and 
surpassingly  grand  were  the  ceremonies  of  dedica- 
tion !*  "  And  all  the  elders  of  Israel  came,  and 
the  priests  took  up  the  ark."  And  the  tabernacle 
was  carried  up  also,  and  all  the  holy  vessels  that 
were  in  it.  Then  the  sacrifices  commenced.  All 
the  congregation  of  Israel  took  part  in  the  cere- 
monies. The  sheep  and  the  oxen  to  be  sacrificed 
were  numberless.  When  the  arkf  was  borne  into 
"  the  oracle  of  the' house,  to  the  most  holy  place," 
the  cherubim  spread  forth  their  wings  over  the 


*  When  a  masonic  edifice  is  erected,  according  to  ancient  custom, 
it  must  be  dedicated.  A  portion  of  the  ceremonies  of  dedication  may 
be  performed  in  public. 

t  The  most  striking  analogy  between  the  ark  of  the  covenant  and 
the  sacred  chests  of  other  nations,  is  exhibited  in  one  of  the  South 
Sea  islands,  discovered  by  Captain  Cook.  It  is  described  as  a  kind 
of  chest,  or  ark,  the  lid  of  which  was  nicely  sewed  on  and  thatched 
very  neatly  with  palm-nut  leaves.  It  was  fixed  upon  two  poles,  and 
supported  upon  little  arches  of  wood,  very  neatly  covered.  In  one  end 
of  it  was -a  square  hole,  in  the  middle  of  which  was  a  ring  touching 
the  sides,  and  leaving  the  angles-,  open,  so  as  to  form  a  round  hole 
within,  or  square  one  without.  The  general  resemblance  between 
tliis  repository  and  the  ark  of  the  Jews  is  remarkable ;  but  it  is  still 
more  remarkable  that  upon  inquiring  of  a  boy  what  it  was  called,  he 
said  Ewharre  no  Eiaw — the  house  of  God. — 2  01.  Land.  p.  298, 
notje*23. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  219 

place,  and  covered  the  ark  and  the  staves  thereof. 
And  when  it  was  safely  seated,  Almighty  J ehovah 
descended  and  filled  the  house  with  his  glory. 
Yes,  the  Lord  was  visible  there ;  and  well  might 
the  wisest  of  men  in  the  presence  of  all  the  congre- 
gation of  Israel  pour  out  a  fervent  and  most  elo- 
quent prayer  to  Him  for  his  multiplied  blessings. 
What  a  mighty  assembly  had  gathered  together ! 
The  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  was  there.  And 
never  before  had  such  eloquence  fallen  from  the 
lips  of  Solomon.  His  prayer  is  a  specimen  of  true 
devotion,  and  of  what  a  wise  man  can  do  and  say, 
'*when  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
mouth  speaketh." 

That  ever  memorable  occasion  is  celebrated  in 
our  lodges.  It  is  the  ground-work  of  one  of  its 
most  beautiful  degrees.  It  has  been  celebrated  for 
thousands  of  generations,  and  is  hallowed  in  the 
memory  of  the  craft.  And  may  we  not  with 
propriety  say,  that  the  splendid  and  eloquent 
prayer  of  our  Grand  Master,  although  it  is  not 
expressly  incorporated  into  the  regular  body  of 
masonry,  constitutes,  by  implication,  a  portion  of 
our  institution  ?  If  we  are  correct  in  the  opinion 
that  our  Order  was  perfected  at  the  completion  of 
the  temple,  or  even  established  after  that  period, 
but  associated  with  the  progress  of  that  building 


220 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  dedication,  then  we  may  very  reasonably  con- 
tend that  every  rite  or  event  connected  with  it 
ajSbrds  a  subject  for  masonic  study  and  investiga- 
tion. < 

The  shekinah  was  the  sitting  or  dwelling  of 
God,  between  the  cherubim,  on  the  mercy-seat  or 
cover  of  the  ark,  whence  he  delivered  his  answers 
in  an  articulate  voice. — 2  Homes  Intro,  p.  255. 
The  Divine  shekinah  reappeared  in^  human  form 
in  the  second  temple,  after  it  was  repaired  by 
Herod,  and  was  the  antitype  of  Isaac.  The  she- 
kinah among  the  Hebrews  was  a  symbol  of  the 
present  Deity.  The  Rabbins  believed  that  it 
resided  first  in  the  tabernacle  built  by  Moses,  and 
that  it  descended  at  the  consecration  of  the  taber- 
nacle, as  it  did,  at  the  dedication  of  the  first  tem- 
ple.* It  disappeared  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, but  reappeared  at  the  transfiguration  of  Christ, 
and  also  at  his  baptism.  Its  appearance  in  the 
tabernacle  and  Solomon's  temple  is  generally  sup- 


*  The  Rabbins  affirm  that  the  shekinah  first  resided  in  the  taber- 
nacle prepared  by  Moses  in  the  wilderness,  into  which  it  descended 
on  the  day  of  its  consecration,  in  the  figure  of  a  cloud.  It  passed 
from  thence  into  the  sanctuary  of  Solomon's  temple  on  the  day  of  its 
dedication.  It  appeared  at  the  baptism  and  transfiguration  of  Christ. 
—2  Pid.  Did.  p.  1230. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  221 

posed  to  have  been  typical  of  the  Messiah.*  If  so, 
does  not  free  masonry  recognise  the  type  ?  Where 
is  the  type  spoken  of  particularly  ?  The  bright 
cloud  descended  into  the  most  holy  place  of  the 
ancient  temple,  which  was  constructed  by  the 
express  injunction  of  the  Almighty,  which  was  a 
house  of  prayer,  a  place  of  worship  solemnly  dedi- 
cated to  the  Lord.  Do  we  believe  these  things? 
What  is  the  guide  of  our  faith  ?  The  Holy  Bible. 
Then  all  the  types,  shadows,  rites  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Jews,  as  contained  in  the  Old  Testament, 
have  been  adopted  expressly  or  impliedly  into  our 
system,  and  form  a  part  of  its  mysteries.     .  . 


*  Josephus  regarded  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture  as  being 
typical. — Jewish  Antiq.  B.  3,  ch.  7. 


LECTURE  X. 


All  things  being-  are  in  mystery ;  we  expound  mysteries  by  mysteries ; 
And  yet  the  secret  of  them  all  is  one  in  simple  grandeur ! — Tupper. 

Be  content ;  thine  eye  cannot  see  all  the  sides  of  a  cube  at  one  view, 
Nor  thy  mind  in  the  self-same  moment  follow  two  ideas. — Ibid. 

What  master  of  reason  or  sub  til  ty  is  able  to  unriddle  the  gospel  1 — 

South. 

Man  was  originally  the  temple  of  Jehovah ;  an  earthly,  but  yet  a 
magnificent  structure,  designed  to  show  forth  the  power  and  wisdom 
which  could  raise  a  fabric  so  glorious  from  materials  so  poor.^ — Bradley. 

And  they  shrill  bring  the  glory  and  honour  of  the  nations  into  it. — 


is  secret,  hidden,  or  revealed  but  in  part.  The 
term  is  appHed  both  to  doctrines  and  facts. f  The 


*  That  which  is  mystical  in  the  Word  is  nothing  else  but  what  is 
spiritual  and  celestial;  thus,  what  treats  of  the  Lord,  of  his  kingdom, 
and  of  the  church. — Heav.  drca,  4923,  n. 

f  That  the  term  mystery  is  so  applied,  see  Diet,  of  the  Church, 
p.  345. 


Revelation, 


223 


224  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

doctrines  of  the  Trinity,  and  the  incarnation  of 
Jesus  Christy  are  great  mysteries.  As  facts,  they 
are  mysteries.  We  read  of  outward  and  visible 
signs  of  secret  or  hidden  truth.  Christ,  it  is  said, 
"instituted  and  ordained  holy  mysteries,  as 
pledges  of  his  love^  and  for  a  continual  remem- 
brance of  his  death."  Christians  are  exhorted  to 
prepare  themselves  to  partake  of  these  holy  mys- 
teries. Types,  allegories,  and  parables  contain 
mysteries;  for  they  have  a  secret  or  hidden  mean- 
ing.* The  typical  sense  of  the  Scriptures  is  when, 
under  external  objects  or  prophetic  vision,  secret 
things,  whether  present  or  future,  are  represented ; 
especially  when  certain  transactions  recorded  in 
the  Old  Testament  presignify  or  adumbrate  those 
related  in  the  New  Testament. — 1  Homes  Intro. 
p.  323.  The  allegorical  sense  is,  when  the  holy 
Scriptures,  besides  the  literal  sense,  signify  any 
thing  belonging  to  faith  or  spiritual  doctrine ;  and 
the  parabolical  sense  is,  when,  besides  the  plain 
and  obvious  meaning  of  the  thing  related,  an 
occult  or  spiritual  sense  is  intended. — Ihid,  This 
spiritual  sense  is  a  mystical  sense.    The  mysteries 

*  That  which  has  a  hidden,  allegorical,  or  secret  meaning-,  is  termed 
mystical. — Diet,  of  the  Church,  p.  346.  The  term  mysteries  is 
applied  to  all  those  religious  ceremonies  which  were  conducted  in 
secret  by  the  ancients. — Mack  Lex.  p.  207. 


,    NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  225 

of  free  masonry  exist,  in  its  signs,  words,  symbols, 
rites,  and  ceremonies,  which  have  an  allegorical, 
hidden,  secret,  spiritual,  mystical  meaning.  They 
contain  deep  doctrines  as  well  as  strange  facts, 
which  we  have  partly  shown ;  doctrines  which  are 
holy  mysteries,  and  facts  which  have  left  an 
indelible  impression  upon  all  time,  and  produced 
the  mightiest  results;  doctrines  and  facts,  whose 
mystical  sense  will  never  be  revealed  until  we  are 
raised  to  a  higher  state  of  existence. 
/  The  analogy  which  exists  between  the  types 
and  symbols  of  masonry  and  those  of  the  Bible, 
is  of  a  very  striking  character,  as  the  attentive 
reader  must  have  perceived.  They  partake  alike 
of  a  spiritual  or  mystical  sense.  Masonry  gene- 
rally speaks  in  symbols,  or  symbolical  language, 
the  expounding  of  which  is  closely  connected  with 
the  interpretation  of  types.  By  symbols  is  meant 
"  certain  representative  marks,  rather  than  express 
pictures;  or  if  pictures,  such  as  were  at  the  time 
characters;  and  besides  representing  to  the  eye 
the  resemblance  of  a  particular  object,  suggested  a 
general  idea  to  the  mind."  It  has  been  doubted 
by  theologians  whether  symbolical  language  should 
be  referred  to  figurative  or  spiritual  interpretation. 
— 1  Homes  Intro,  p.  387.  The  better  opinion 
seems  to  be,  that  it  is  most  nearly  allied  to 

29 


226 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO  ' 


spiritual  interpretation.  A  symbol,  properly 
speaking,  refers  to  something  present  or  past; 
while  a  type  refers  to  something  future.  But 
there  are  both  types  and  symbols  in  masonry,  as 
in  the  Scriptures.  A  masonic  symbol  often  refers 
to  a  type  associated  with  it.  For  example,  the 
masonic  ladder  is  a  symbol  in  its  true  sense, 
because  it  refers  to  or  represents  something  past, 
the  ladder  which  Jacob  saw  in  his  dream.  But 
Jacob's  ladder,  which  is  emblematized  in  masonry, 
was  a  type.  So  the  blazing  star  is  an  emblem  in 
the  eye  of  a  Christian  brother,  because  to  him  it 
represents  something  past,  which  long  since 
appeared ;  but  if  free  masonry  existed  before  the 
birth  of  Christ,  then  the  star  in  the  centre  of  the 
Mosaic  pavement  was  emblematical  of  the  pro- 
phetic star  of  which  Balaam  spoke;  which  star, 
in  the  eye  of  our  ancient  brethren,  was  a  spiritual 
type  of  the  one  which  really  appeared.  But  there 
are  types  which  are  conveyed  or  signified  by 
means  of  external  symbols,  as  is  the  case  with 
prophetical  types.  ,  ^ 

But  there  are  masonic  symbols  which  are  dis- 
connected with  types.  For  instance,  there  is  the 
all-seeing  eye,*  which  represents  the  omnipresence 

*  Eyes  as  applied  to  the  Almighty  denote,  1.  His  infinite  know- 
ledge, {Prov.  XV.  3,  Ps.  ii.  4;)  2.  His  watchful  providence,  (Ps. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  227 

of  God,  with  whom  there  is  a  perpetual  now.  It 
is  strictly  a  symbol.  Various  other  examples 
might  be  given,  were  it  conceived  necessary.  The 
Bible  is  full  of  symbolical  language ;  and  if  we  will 
diligently  compare  it  with  the  symbolical  language 
of  masonry,  the  most  accurate  analogy  will  be 
observed.  '  It  is  a  very  ancient  mode  of  con- 
veying information.  The  symbolical  language  of 
the  prophets,  says  an  eminent  bishop,  is  almost  a 
science  in  itself  None  can  fully  comprehend  the 
depth,  sublimity,  and  force  of  their  writings,  who 
are  not  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  peculiar 
and  appropriate  imagery  they  were  accustomed  to 
use.  This  is  the  main  key  to  many  of  the 
prophecies;  and,  without  knowing  how  to  apply 
it,  the  interpreter  will  often  in  vain  essay  to  dis- 
cover their  hidden  treasures. — Bp.  Vanmilderfs 
Lec.  p.  240.    Then  there  is  a  beauty  and  force  in 


xxxiii.  8.  34 — 15 ;)  3.  The  omnipresence  of  Jesus  Chrisit,  {Rev. 
ii.  23,  Heh.  iv.  13.)  As  applied  to  man  they  denote,  1.  The  under- 
standing, the  eyes  of  the  mind,  {Ps.  cxix,  18,  Eph.  i.  18;)  2.  A 
friendly  ctunsellor,  {Job  xxix.  15  ;)  3.  The  whole  man,  {Rev.  i.  7  ;) 
4.  Human  designs,  {Deuf.  xxviii.  54—56.) — Hornets  Index  to  Sym- 
bolical Language  of  the  Bible. 

Here  we  perceive  that  eyes  as  applied  to  God  denote  three  things ; 
as  applied  to  man  four  things ;  which  correspond  with  the  two  perfect 
figures,  the  triangle  and  the  square.  And  three  and  four  added  toget^ier 
make  seven. 


228 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


masonic  symbols.  There  is  great  necessity -for  us 
to  be  familiar  with  symbolical  language,  if  we 
would  perceive  the  secret  meaning  of  prophecy,  or 
discover  the  force,  depth,  and  sublimity  of  the  pro- 
phetical Scriptures;  and  in  this  will  also  be 
observed  another  beautiful  relation,  which  our 
Order  sustains  to  the  sacred  writings.* 

There  are  historical  types  in  the  Old  Testament. 
So  there  are  historical  types  in  masonry.  The 
historical  types  in  the  Old  Testament  were  exact 
prefigurations  of  the  characters,  actions,  and  for- 
tunes of  future '  persons  who  should  arise  under 
the  gospel  dispensation. — 1  Homes  Intro,  p.  386. 
For  example,  Moses  and  Isaac  were  types  of  the 
Messiah.  If  the  old  Scriptures  contained  such 
types,  it  is  very  easy  to  see  whence  our  ancient 
Masters  derived  a  knowledge  of  them,  and  why 
they  would  incorporate  something  similar  into  the 
Order.  The  founders  of  masonry  were  acquainted 
with  the  historical  types,  and  knew  that  th^y  pre- 
figured future  events ;  for  they  had  great  faith  in 

*  The  symbolical  language  of  the  Scriptures  are  of  a  very  forcible 
and  striking  character,  A  king  or  kingdom  is  symbolized  by  a  great 
eagle,  with  great  wings  full  of  feathers,  which  had  divers  colours. 
To  be  borne  on  eagles'  wings,  signifies  divine  miraculous  deliverance. 
"  Who  can  pursue  the  eagle  through  the  air,  and  take  from  him  what 
is  committed  to  his  charge]"  A  n^ultitude  of  other  examples  might 
be  enumerated. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  229 

God,  who  had  declared  them  to  be  typical.  The 
historical  types  of  masonry  may  be  termed  inferred 
types,  as  divines  make  a  distinction  between  ex- 
press or  innate  and  inferred  types.  The  distinc- 
tion is  this  :  Those  persons  whom  God  declared  to 
be  typical,  have  been  called  innate,  or  natural 
historical  types  ;*  while  all  others  are  regarded  as 
implied,  or  inferred  historical  types.  Now,  if,  as 
we  contend,  there  are  any  historical  types  em- 
bodied in  masonry,  they  cannot  be  called,  in  a 
scriptural  sense,  innate  types,  because  they  are  not 
of  Divine  origin.  The  historical  characters,  as 
mentioned  and  delineated  in  the  Bible,  may  be 
termed  innate  types ;  but  as  represented  in  our 
ceremonies  or  lectures  can  only  be  said  to  be 
inferred  historical  or  traditional  types.  The  prin- 
cipal characteristic  of  an  inferred,  or  implied  type, 
is  that  in  which  the  typical  person  is  not  known 
to  be  such  until  after  the  thing  typified  had 
actually  occurred. — 1  Homes  Intro,  p.  386.  Now, 
our  ancient  brethren  most  probably  knew  their 
historical  characters  to  be  typical,  because  the' 


*  In  some  instances,  the  persons  whose  characters  and  actions  pre- 
figured future  events,  were  declared  by  Jehovah  himself  to  be  typical, 
long  before  the  events  which  they  prefigured  came  to  pass :  these 
have  been  termed  innate  or  natural  historical  types  ;  and  these  may 
be  safely  admitted. — 1  Home's  Intro,  p.  386. 


230  "  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


founders  of  masonry  so  regarded  them,  and  they 
had  been  made  acquainted  with  the  innate  histori- 
cal types  of  the  Old  Testament.  This  knowledge 
of  our  ancient  brethren  has  been  lost  in  the  lapse 
of  centuries.  At  all  events,,  it  has  not  been  trans- 
mitted to  us,  and  consequently,  the  historical  or 
traditional  types  of  our  institution  can  only  be 
known  as  such  by  tracing  out  the  analogies  be- 
tween the  persons  or  things  typified  and  the  types 
themselves.  The  legal  types*  of  the  Old  Testa 
ment  may  be  said  to  have  bt;en  introduced  into 
the  masonic  ritual  as  they  existed  in  the  "  ritual 
law."  Masonry,  in  its  perfected  state,  is  doubtless 
of  Jewish  origin ;  and  as  the  book  of  the  law  is 
the  source  of  much  masonic  light, — as  it  was  depo- 
sited by  Moses  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  that 
ark,  with  all  its  precious  treasures,  was  carried  up 
and  deposited  in  the  holy  of  holies  of  the  first 
temple,  and  the  book  was  once  lost  and  afterwards 
restored  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  frater- 
nity,— whatever  that  book  contained  of  a  typical 


^  The  entire  constitution  and  offering-s  of  the  Levitical  priesthood 
typically  prefigured  Christ,  the  great  high  priest,  and  especially  the 
ceremonies  observed  on  the  great  day  of  atonement.  So  the  passover 
and' paschal  lamb  typified  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ:  so  the  feast 
of  pentecost,  which  commemorated  the  giving  of  the  law  on  Mount 
Sinai  prefigured  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — 1  Home's  Intro.  385. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  231 

nature  was  necessarily  typical  in  masonry;  for 
our  ancient  brethren  recognised  the  Divine  author- 
ity of  the  five  books  of  Moses.  Then,  if  there  are 
any, legal  types  of  the  Messiah,  they  form  a  part 
of  the  body  of  masonry.  *  In  Hebrews,  Christ,  we 
ar^e  told,  was  called  of  God  a  High  Priest  after  the 
order  of  Melchisedec. — (ch.  v.  10.)  The  ninth 
chapter  of  Hebrews  points  out  the  typical  mean- 
ing of  the  tabernacle,  and  its  furniture,  together 
with  the  ordinances  observed  at  the  tabernacle. 
Then,  verily,  the  first  covenant  had  also  ordinances 
of  divine  service,  and  a  worldly  sanctuary.  For 
there  was  a  tabernacle  made;  the  first,  wherein 
was  the  candlestick,  and  the  table,  and  the  shew- 
bread;  which  is  called  the  sanctuary.  And  after 
the  second  veil,  the  tabernacle,  which  is  called  the 
holiest  of  all;  which  had  the  golden  censer,  and 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  overlaid  round  about  with 
gold,  wherein  was  the  golden  pot  that  had  manna, 
and  Aaron's  rod  that  budded,  and  the  tables  of  the 
covenant;  and  over  it  the  cherubim  of  glory 
shadowing  the  mercy-seat;  of  which  we  cannot 
now  speak  particularly. — Heh.  ix.  1 — 5.  In  the 
11th  verse  of  the  same  chapter,  Christ  is  called  a 
High  Priest:  But  Christ  being  come  an  high 
priest  of  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and 
more  perfect  tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands. 


232 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONKY  TO 


"  So,"  says  Horne,  "  the  passover  and  the  paschal 
lamb  typified  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ;, so,  the 
feast  of  pentecost,  which  commemorated  the  giving 
of  the  law  on  Mount  Sinai,  prefigured  the  effusion 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  apostles,  who  were  thus 
enabled  to  promulgate  the  gospel  throughout  the 
then  known  world.  And  it  has  been  conjectured 
that  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles  typified  the  final 
restoration  of  the  J ews."  The  very  privileges  of 
the  Jews  are  regarded  as  types  of  those  enjoyed 
by  Christians.  ' 

There  are  mysteries  in  free  masonry ;  and  many 
consider  that  they  furnish  sufiicient  ground  to 
repudiate  or  condemn  the  institution.  Now,  the 
Scriptures  are  liable  to  the  very  same  objection; 
and  if  masonry  be  rejected  or  condemned  on 
account  of  its  mysteries,  then  for  the  very  same 
reason  we  might  reject  or  condemn  the  Scriptures. 
And  there  have  been  infidels,  and  there  are  infidels 
now,  who  object  to  the  Bible  on  the  ground  that  it 
contains  mysteries.  "  Some  of  the  doctrines,",  saj?- 
they,  "  of  the  Bible  are  not  entitled  to  our  belief, 
because  they  are  mysterious;  and  where  mystery 
begins  religion  ends."  Horne,  in  his  Introduction 
to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  has  given  a  triumphant 
answer  to  this  objection ;  and  that  answer  may  be 
regarded  as  a  vindication  of  our.  Order.    "  Nothing 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  233 

is  SO  mysterious/'  says  he,  "  as  the  eternity  and 
self-existence  of  God :  yet  to  believe  that  God 
exists  is  the  foundation  of  all  religion.  Above  our 
reason  the  attributes  of  Deity  unquestionably  are ; 
for  who  can  conceive  what  eternity  is?  A  durar 
tion  without  beginning,  or  succession  of  parts  of 
time !  Who  can  so  much  as  imagine  or  frame  any 
idea  of  a  Being  neither  made  by  itself  or  by  any 
other?  Of  omnipotence,  of  omniscience,  and  of 
immensity !  How,  indeed,  can  a  finite  capacity 
like  ours  comprehend  an  Infinite  Being,  which 
heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain ! 
Vain  mortal !  dost  thou  presume  to  scrutinize  the 
nature  and  comprehend  all  the  ways  of  the  incom- 
prehensible God  ?" 

The  body  of  a  redeemed  sinner  has  been  called 
a  temple  of  God.  What !  know  ye  not  that  your 
body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in 
you,  which  ye  have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not  your 
own  ?  For  ye  are  bought  with  a  price  :  therefore 
glorify  God  in  your  body,  and  in  your  spirit,  which 
are  God's. — 1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20.  This  is  a  most 
remarkable  saying,  and  contains  a  figure  evidently 
drawn  from  the  temple  of  Solomon,  into  whose 
holy  of  holies  the  glory  of  God  descended  and  was 
made  visible.  As  truly,  says  Adam  Clarke,  as  the 
living  God  dwelt  in  the  Mosaic  tabernacle  and  in 

30  U  2 


( 


234 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


the  temple  of  Solomon,  so  truly  does  the  Holy 
Ghost  dwell  in  the  souls  of  genuine  Christians.* 
When  the  soul  is  redeemed  from  sin,  it  is  ready  to. 
be  dedieated  to  the  Lord,  who  will  make  it  his 
habitation,  and  will  write  his  )name  there  for  ever, 
and  it  will  be  a  "new  name,  which  no  man  know- 
eth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it." 

In  the  United  States,  the  Fellow  Craft's  degree 
is  conferred  in  a  blue  lodge,  and  the  Mark  Master's 
in  a  chapter.  We  have  always  thought  that  there 
existed  an  evident  connection  between  these 
degrees.  When  an  Entered  Apprentice  is  ad- 
vanced to  the   degree   of  Fellow  Craft,  he  is 


.  *  All  Christians  were  denominated  Theophori,  "  temples  of  God,!' 
and  sometimes  Christophori,  "  temples  of  Christ."  When  Ignatius 
stood  in  the  presence  of  the  Emperor  Trajan,  the  emperor  demanded 
of  him  :  "  Who  art  thou,  unhappy  and  deluded  man,  who  art  so  active 
in  transgressing  our  commands ;  and  besides,  persuadest  others  to 
their  own  destruction  1"  Ignatius  replied  :  "  No  one  ought  to  call 
(one  who  is  properly  styled)  Theophorus  unhappy  and  deluded ;  for 
the  evil  spirits  (which  deluded  men)  are  departed  far  from  the  servants 
of  God.  But  if  you  so  call  me  because  I  am  a  trouble  to  those  evil 
spirits  and  an  enemy  to  their  delusions,  I  confess  the  justice  of  the 
appellation;  for  having  (within  me)  Christ,  the  heavenly  King,  I 
loosen  all  their  snares."  Trajan  replied  :  "  And  who  is  Theophorus?'''' 
Ignatius  answered :  "  He  that  hath  Christ  in  his  heart."  Then 
answered  Trajan :  "  Carriest  thou,  then,  within  thee  him  who  was 
crucified  ?"  "  Yea,"  replied  Ignatius,  "  for  it  is  written,  I  will  dwell 
in  them  and  walk  in  them." — Clem.  Epistles^  p.  55,  note  a. 


■  -  NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  235 

advanced  to  a  new  state  or  quality,  and  is  then 
considered  capable  of  adjusting  his  work.  But  his 
work  or  wrought  stone  should  be  marked  and 
numbered  before  being  adjusted,  or  laid  in  a  build- 
ing. A  white  stone,  with  a  new  name  written 
in '  it,  imports  a  new  quality  or  state.  When 
God  made  his  covenant  with  Abraham,  he  gave 
him  a  new  name. — Gen.  xvii.  5.  So  Sarai  and 
Simon  were  called  by  new  names,  when  they  were 
placed  in  new  circumstances. — Oyly  and  Manf  s 
Com,  Kev.  ii.  17.  "The  white  stone,"  says  Dean 
Woodhouse,  "  presented  to  the  conquering  Chris- 
tian, may  be  supposed  to  signify  the  approving 
sentence  of  God.  On  the  stone  there  was  to  be  a 
new  name  written.  From  the  earliest  ages  it  was 
customary  to  invest  a  person  raised  to  dignity  with 
a  new  name  or  title,  expressive  of  his  merits. — 
UOyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Eev.  ii,  17..  '  •. 

The  church  of  God  has  also  been  called  the 
temple  of  God  :*  He  shall  build  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  even  he  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord, 
and  he  shall  bear  the  glory. — Zech.  vi.  12,  13. 
All  the  commentators  agree  in  affirming  that  this 

*  In  the  Bible,  this  title  generally  refers  to  that  house  of  prayer 
which  Solomon  built  for  the  honour  and  worship  of  God.  The  fiame 
of  temple  is  now  properly  used  for  any  church  or  place  of  worship  set 
apart  for  the  service  of  Almighty  God. — Did.  of  the  Churchy  p.  449- 


286  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

passage  contains  a  prophecy  of  the  Messiah  *  He 
was  to  build  his  temple  on  earth;  even  he  should 
build  the  temple  of  the  Lord  and  should  bear  the 
glory.  And  when  the  Messiah  himself  came,  he 
spoke  of  his  body:  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  . 
them,  Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I 
will  raise  it  up. — John  ii.  19.  He  spoke  of  the 
temple  of  his  body.  And  who  is  the  builder  of 
God's  temple — the  church  ?  Christ  is  its  glorious 
architect."!"  He  planned  it.  He  drew  its  inimi- 
table designs,  laid  off  its  vast  dimensions,  pre- 
pared all  its  materials,  which  are  imperishable; 
and  founded  it  on  an .  eternal  rock.  And  the 
glory  of  God  has  descended  upon  it,  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  shall  fill  it.  The  temple  of  Solomon, 
we  have  shown,  was  a  type  of  the  church ;  and 
Hiram,  that  man  of  wisdom,  and  understand- 
ing, and  cunning  in  all  works  of  brass,  was  its 
architect.  In  masonic  language,  he  was  the 
builder.  He  drew  its  plan  and  superintended 
the  work.    Was  not  Hiram,  then,  a  type  of  Jesus  ? 


*  2  Brad.  Ser.  263  ;  B'Oyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Zech.  vi.  12. 

f  The  whole  spiritual  edifice  above  has  been  from  eternity  in  the 
Divine  mind.  Every  part  of  it  has  been  thoug-ht  over  and  determined 
on  in  that  mind ;  nothing  has  been  overlooked.  All  clearly  was 
formed  on  a  predetermined  plan.  There  is  design  visible  everywhere 
throughout  it.    It  is  one  great  whole. — 2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  264. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  237 

If  the  temple  was  a  type  of  the  church,  and  Christ 
is  the  builder  of  the  churchj  was  not  the  builder 
of  the  temple  intended  to  typify  that  mighty 
builder,  Christ,  who  was  to  come  after  him  ? 

The  materials  of  the  masonic  temple  were 
brought  from  afar.  And  there  is  a  house  being 
erected,  of  materials  gathered  from  all  countries 
and  all  ages.*  It  will  tower  on  some  hill  in 
eternity;  and  the  banner  of  the  cross  will  float  in 
triumph  above  its  dome,  stained  with  the  purest 
and  costliest  blood.  And  shall  we  ever  behold 
that  temple  ?f    We  must  pass  through  a  spiritual 

*  The  heavenly  city,  in  the  days  of  its  pil^rimag'e  on  earth,  enlists 
citizens  out  of  all  nations,  and  assembles  a  company  of  pilgrims  out 
^of  all  tongues ;  not  caring  for  difference  of  manners,  laws,  and 
customs,  but  rather  seeking  to  preserve  them  for  the  sake  of  earthly 
peace,  if  only  thej  hinder  not  the  religion  which  teaches  the  only 
Most  High  and  True. — aS";!.  Augitstine' s  City  of  God,  b.  19;  1  Brad. 
Ser.  p.  18.  Ages  have  been  employed  in  building  the  temple  in 
heaven.  All  the  perfections  of  the  Godhead  have  been  called  forth  to 
raise  and  adorn  it.  It  is  the  perfection  of  his  workmanship. — 2  Brad. 
Ser.  p.  266. 

f  The  author  has  compared  the  soul  of  a  righteous  man  to  a  polished 
stone,  marked  and  numbered  for  the  heavenly  temple.  Here  that 
temple  is  regarded  as  an  object  which  the  redeemed  may  behold. 
Divines  frequently  indulge  in  the  same  kind  of  speech.  For  example, 
the  Rev.  Charles  Bradley,  in  one  of  his  sermons,  asks  the  following 
questions.  Brethren,  shall  you  and  I  ever  see  this  temple  ?  Shall  we 
ever  form  a  pari  of  it  ?  Is  there  a  place  for  us  in  heaven  ?  Is  Christ 
making  us  ready  for  it?         .  >.  ,,  . 


238  '       ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 

process  and  the  road  of  peril,  before  we  can  hope 
to  reach  the  summit  of  that  hill,  or  even  stand  at 
its  everlasting  base.  "This  is  the  law  of  the 
house.  From  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the  whole 
limit  thereof  round  about  shall  be  most  holy: 
behold!  this  is  the  law  of  the  house."  May  we 
all  reach  that  better  land,  the  holy  mount  and 
holy  temple,  where  a  holier  one  than  Ezekiel  will 
sweep  the  heavenly  lyre,  and  a  purer  one  than 
David  will  sing,  to  a  harp  of  more  than  a  thou- 
sand strings,  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb  for 
ever  and  ever.  And  when  the  great  work  of 
redemption  is  finished,  when  the  day  shall  come 
for  the  completion  of  the  holy  church' — that  grand 
lodge  above — all  the  spirits  of  the  just  will  sing, 
Grace,  grace  unto  it."* 

*  That  must  have  been  an  hour  of  wonderful  joy  to  the  Saviour, 
when,  bowing-  his  head  on  the  cross,  he  said,  "  It  is  finished  i^"*  but 
think  of  the  hour  when  he  shall  bring  into  heaven  the  last  of  his 
redeemed,  and  say,  "Jif  is  finished-'^  when  he  shall  pass  through  Ihe 
hosts  of  his  angels,  and  stand  on  the  summit  of  his  glorious  temple, 
and  put  on  the  last  stone  of  it,  and  say,  "  I  have  done.^^  There  will  be 
shoutings  of  "  Grace,  grace.^^ — 2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  272. 


LECTUKE  XI. 


The  sacrifice  of  Abraham,  which  consecrated  Mount  Moriah,  is,  tc 
me,  one  of  the  most  touching  events  in  human  history.  I  can  never 
read  over  the  unostentatious,  brief  account  given  in  the  Bible,  without 
the  profoundest  emotions. — Headley. 

Glory  and  brightness  are  on  that  hill-top,  and  shall  be  to  the  end 
of  time ;  but  there  was  a  morning  when  gloom  and  terror  crowned  it, 
and  heaven  itself,  all  but  God  the  Father,  gazed  on  it  in  wonder,  if 
not  in  consternation. — Idem. 

Thus,  in  different  periods  of  time,  did  God  vouchsafe  to  give  men 
a  demonstrative  proof  of  the  reality  of  a  future  state. — Bihle  Biog, 

The  temple  of  Solomon  was  situated  due  east 
and  west  on  Mount  Moriah,  the  most  hallowed 
eminence  in  the  memory  of  a  Mason.  The  model 
of  this  august  edifice  was  formed  after  that  of  the 
tabernacle,  but  of  much  larger  dimensions.  Moriah 
was  also  called  Zion.  This  hill  was  cultivated 
before  the  temple  was  erected.  There  had  been 
the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite,  on 
which  David  reared  an  altar  unto  the  Lord, 
(2  Sam.  xxiv.  18;)  and  on  that  very  spot  the 


240^  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO  ^ 

temple  was  built  *  And  there,  too,  the  father 
of  all  the  faithful  offered  his  son,  his  only  son, 
Isaac,  as  a  sacrifice,  which  is  one  of  the  most 


*  Laraartine,  in  his  Pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  has  preserved  an 
oriental  legend,  invented  and  transmitted  by  the  Arabs,  detailing-  the 
circumstances  which  dictated  Solomon's  selection  of  a  site  for  the 
temple.  It  is  as  follows :  "  Jerusalem  was  a  ploughed  field,  and  the 
ground  on  which  the  temple  now  stands  the  joint  inheritance  of  two 
brothers  ;  one  of  whom  was  married  and  had  several  children ;  the 
other  lived  a  bachelor.  They  cultivated  in  common  the  field,  which 
had  devolved  on  them  in  the  right  of  their  mother ;  at  harvest  time, 
the  two  brothers  bound  up  their  sheaves,  and  made  of  them  two  equal 
stacks,  which  they  left  upon  the  field.  During  the  night  a  thought 
was  presented  to  the  younger :  '  My  brother,'  said  he  to  himself,  '  has 
a  wife  and  children  to  maintain;  it  is  not  just  that  our  shares  should 
be  equal ;  let  me,  then,  take  a  few  sheaves  from  my  stack  and  secretly 
add  them  to  his ;  he  will  not  perceive  it,  and,  therefore,  cannot  refuse 
them.'  This  project  the  young  man  immediately  executed.  That 
night  the  elder  awoke,  and  said  to  his  wife :  '  My  brother  is  young 
and  lives  alone,  without  a  companion  to  assist  him  in  his  labours  and 
console  him  under  his  fatigues;  it  is  not  just  that  we  should  take 
from  the  field  as  many  sheaves  as  he  does ;  let  us  get  up  and  secretly 
go  and  carry  a  certain  number  of  sheaves  to  his  stack:  he  will  not 
find  it  out  to-morrow,  and,  therefore,  cannot  refuse  them ;'  and  they 
did  so  accordingly.  The  next  day  both  brothers  went  to  the  field, 
and  each  was  much  surprised  to  find  the  two  stacks  alike ;  neither 
being  able,  in  his  own  mind,  to  account  for  the  prodigy.  They 
pursued  the  same  course  for  several  successive  nights,  but  as  each 
carried  to  his  brother's  stack  the  same  number  of  sheaves,  the  stacks 
still  remained  equal,  till  one  night  both  determined  to  stand  sentinel, 
to  elucidate  the  mystery ;  they  met,  each  bearing  the  sheaves  for  his 
"Other's  stack."    Now.  the  spot  where  so  beautiful  a  thought  at 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  241 

touching  events  which  transpired  on  that  holy 
hill.  Take  now  thy  son,  thine  only  son  Isaac, 
whom  thou  lovest,  and  get  thee  into  the  land 
of  Moriah,  and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt-offering 
upon  one  of  the  mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee 
of.  Abraham,  the  patriarch  and  founder  of  the 
Israelitish  nation,  had  the  most  steadfast  and 
unwavering  confidence  in  the  promises  of  the 
Almighty.  He  cheerfully  obeyed  the  command 
of  God.  It  requires  no  brilliant  imagination  to 
tell  something  of  those  feelings  and  affections 
which  pervade  a  parent's  bosom.  Abraham  was 
in  his  old  age ;  the  weight  of  years  was  pressing 
him  down  toward  the  tomb.  Sarah  had  blessed 
him  in  his  and  her  old  age  with  a  pledge  of  love, 
an  only  son,  through  whom  the  inheritance  was  to 
descend.  The  patriarch  loved  him,  and  Sarah  did 
also.  She  laughed  when  he  was  born,  and  all 
that  heard  of  the  birth  of  Isaac  laughed  also. 
And  God  made  Sarah  laugh.  Isaac,*  the  joy  of 
all  the  household,  had  grown  up  and  waxed 


once  occurred,  and  was  so  perseveringly  acted  upon  by  two  men, 

must  be  a  place  agreeable  to  God  ;  and  men  blessed  it,  and  chose  it 

whereon  to  build  a  house  to  his  name. — 1  Lam.  Pil.  p.  283. 

*  Isaac  sig-nifies  laughter. — Heav.  Ar.  2072,  n.    He  was  born -in 

the  year  of  the  world  2109 — died  2289.    Abraham  died  in  the  year 

of  the  world  2184,  aged  175. 

31  X 


'  242  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

strong,  when  his  father  "rose  up  early  in  the 
morning"  and  made  all  the  necessary  preparations, 
and  "went  out  unto  the  place  of  which  God  had 
told  him."  "  Like  his  great  antitype,",says  Headley, 
"who  bore  his  own  cross  up  Calvary,  Isaac  carried 
the  wood  for  the  burnt-offering  on  his  shoulders, 
while  Abraham  took  the  fire  and  knife  in  his 
hand."  Isaac  was  an  illustrious  type  of  the  Mes- 
siah; and  God,  there  is  great  reason  to  believe, 
intimated  to  Abraham,  through  the  typical  event, 
the  redemption  of  the  world  from  sin  and  ruin. 
There  were  shinings  of  a  glorious  day  which  was 
to  dawn  in  the  future.  The  Sun  of  Righteousness 
shone  afar  off.  The  Mount  was  radiant  with  a 
holy  light.  Isaac  carried  the  wood :  Christ  bore 
his  own  cross  to  the  Mount.  With  slow  and 
measured  steps  he  ascended  the  hill  of  crucifixion. 
Multitudes  followed  on.  A  vast  assembly  moved 
in  procession  to  the  consecrated  place,  there  to 
behold  the  awful  scene.  And  what  an  event  of 
awfulness  and  grandeur  was  enacted  there.  Who 
can  think  of  it  but  with  profound  amazement ! 
God,  in  his  human  and  divine  nature,  hung  upon 
the  cross,  in  full  view  of  the  upturned  faces  of 
the  great  multitude.  Before  he  had  been  taken 
thither,  he  had  been  stricken  with  rude  hands. 
He  had  been  mocked  and  reviled,  before  he  was 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  243 

nailed  to  that  cross  which  trembled  in  its  socket 
when  the  victim  was  raised  upon  it.  But  who 
can  describe  that  day  and  scene — the  immense 
congregation  —  Moriah  and  its  amphitheatre  of 
mountains — the  Son  of  God — His  only  begotten 
Son^  in  the  agonies  of  death,  with  his  arms  out- 
stretched to  embrace  a  ruined  world? 

There  was  silence,  as  we  have  before  remarked, 
during  the  building  of  the  ancient  house  of  the 
Lord,  from  the  moment  its  corner-stone  was  laid 
until  its  completion.  But  a  greater  silence  per- 
vaded that  large  assembly  which  stood  up  before 
the  cross  of  our  Saviour.  The  stillness  was  more 
vast  than  the  people.  Silence  reigned  in  Jerusa- 
lem. Neither  hammer  nor  ax  nor  any  tool  was 
used  in  the  city  on  that  eventful  day.  All  had 
gone  out  to  witness  the  tremendous  tragedy  which 
was  to  be  enacted  in  the  holy  mountain.  Jesus 
had  been  made  ready  for  the  sacrifice.  The  great 
work  of  his  mission  was  about  to  be  accomplished, 
and  the  plan  of  redemption  consummated,  for 
which  all  time  had  been  preparing.  The  Grand 
Master  of  all  the  earth  was  about  to  die.  The 
strokes  had  already  fallen  upon  him  heavy  and 
fast.  There  had  been  often  silence  on  that  Mount 
before,  (and  moaning  too,)  but  never  so  awfully 
sublime  as  now.  /  .    .  '  ; 


244  ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 

The  wonderful  and  striking  coincidences  in  the 
life  and  character  of  our  Saviour,  constitute  a  body  ^ 
of  circumstantial  evidence  which  seems  difficult 
for  the  craft  to  resist.  The  force  of  the  testimony 
cannot  be  repelled.  It  presses  on  the  mind  of  the , 
doubtful  and  devout  with  the  weight  of  eternal 
truth.  The  testimony  is  sustained  by  all  the 
external  evidences  of  Christianity;  while  time, 
instead  of  weakening  its  strength,  has  imparted 
to  it  accumulated  power.  The  holy  mountains, 
like  some  twelve  firm  and  unflinching  apostles, 
lift  up  their  heads  as  eternal  witnesses  of  the 
truth.  Mori  ah  is  associated  with  Ararat,  and 
Sinai,  and  Hor,  and  Pisgah,  and  Horeb,  and 
Carmel,  and  Lebanon,  and  Tabor,  and  Zion,  and 
Calvary,  and  Olivet.  They  are  all  competent 
witnesses,  and  all  their  testimony  is  relevant. 
The  events  which  transpired  on  those  holy 
hills,  and  the  scenes  which  were  there  dis- 
played of  old,  were  parts  of  one  and  the  same 
transaction.  All  generations  preceding  the  cruci- 
fixion were  accessary  to  the  death  of  Christ.  All 
mankind  may  be  said  to  have  participated  in  the 
deed.  The  death  of  our  Saviour  was  a  great 
event,  for  which  all  ages  had  been  preparing  the 
way.  There  was  a  wonderful  complication  of 
circumstances,  so  intimately  interwoven  as  to  be 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  245 

hardly  separable  from  each  other. — 1  Green.  Ev. 
p.  20.  And  they  are  all  connected  with  the  prin- 
cipal fact,  and  constitute  those  surrounding  cir- 
cumstances which  throw  a  flood  of  light  and 
knowledge  upon  that  mightiest  of  all  transactions, 
the  death  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
Then,  how  beautiful,  how  grand,  and  how  sublime 
must  be  that  view  of  ancient  craft  masonry,  which 
connects  it  with  all  time,  all  ages,  all  generations, 
and  the  redemption  of  the  world  !  To  sustain 
this  view,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  that  the  Order 
should  have  existed  from  the  creation  of  man. 
We  need  not  make  any  fruitless  attempts  to  show 
that  Adam  or  any  of  the  patriarchs  belonged  to 
the  craft.  Not  at  all.  The  present  generation  is 
connected  with  the  first,  and  the  last  man  born  on 
the  earth  will  be  related  to  our  great  progenitor. 
The  relation  which  all  men  in  all  ages  bear  to 
each  other  will  never  cease  to  exist.  The  Holy 
Land  is  full  of  the  most  sublime  associations.  A 
land  of  the  prophets,  of  inspiration  and  sacred 
song.  A  land  of  wonders  and  prodigies.  There 
walked  Divinity  incarnate ;  there  lived,  died,  and 
rose  again  the  perfect  man,  who  displayed  the  most 
stupendous  exhibitions  of  his  love  and  mercy. 
Land  of  the  Saviour's  tomb,  which,  says  Lamar- 
tine,  is  the  boundary  of  two  worlds,  the  ancient 


246 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  the  modern.  From  this  point  issued  a  truth 
that  has  renewed  the  universe — a  civiHzation  that 
has  transformed  all  things — a  word  which  has 
echoed  over  the  whole  world. — 1  Lam.  Pil.  p.  277. 
While  time  endures,  the  holy  mountains  will 
stand,  and  those  material  ties  and  moral  associa- 
tions which  bind  them  together  will  never  be 
severed.  Ararat,*  once  submerged  with  the  de 
luge,  and  on  whose  summit  rested  the  ark  of  Noah 
is  continually  increasing  in  magnitude.  Its  snowy 
and  frozen  brow  is  daily  approaching  nearer  anc' 
nearer  to  the  heavens.  Mount  Sinai  is  a  mass  ol 
eternal  granite,  which  nothing  but  the  consuming 
fires  of  the  judgment  can  ever  destroy.  Horeb  is 
a  kindred  summit,  which  will  for  ever  look  down 
upon  rich  gardens  and  fertile  valleys.  Hor  is  con- 
secrated by  the  tomb  of  Aaron.  Pisgah  over- 
looked the  promised  land,  and  was  a  holy  moun- 
tain. Lebanon  remains  sublime  as  the  metaphors 
which  the  sacred  writers  derived  from  that  cele- 
brated mountain.  Lebanon  shall  only  fall  by  a 
Mighty  One.  On  the  top  of  Carmel  the  faithful 
Elijah  offered  sacrifice:  "The  excellency  of  Car- 

*  There  is  a  tradition  among  the  Armenians,  that  since  the  days  of 
Noah  no  one  has  been  able  to  climb  this  mountain,  because  it  is  per- 
petually covered  with  snow,  which  never  melts  but  to  make  room  for 
some  newly  fallen. — Calmet;  DWyly  and  ManVs  Com.  Gen.  viii.  4. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  247 

mel"  will  endure  for  ever.  Tabor  is  a  mountain 
apart  by  itself,  and  the  scene  of  the  transfiguration. 
On  the  east  of  Moriah  stands  the  mount  of  Olives, 
fronting  the  temple  hill.  From  this  Mount  the 
Lord  ascended,  in  view  of  Calvary  and  that  sacred 
hill  where  stood  that  august  type  of  his  church, 
Mount  Moriah  !*  On  thy  eternal  summit  the  holy 
lodge  was  held.  Our  fathers  worshipped  there, 
illumined  by  the  light  of  other  days.  An  ascend- 
ing Saviour  threw  upon  it  a  blaze  of  immortality. 
The  transactions  of  that  Mount,  its  beautiful  and 
sublime  associations,  their  connection  with  events 
which  transpired  on  the  fraternity  of  hills  which 
had  witnessed  signs,  tokens,  and  ceremonies,  and 
heard  the  worshippers  of  the  true  God  chanting 
the  inspired  songs  of  the  prophet  king,  all  belong 
to  our  masonic  lore. 

The  temple  of  Solomon  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
On  its  ruins  arose  another  more  glorious  than  the 
first,  because  of  the  entering  into  it  of  the  Son  of 
man.  This  world  will  be  wrapped  in  flames  and 
consumed  to  ashes ;  but  out  of  its  ashes  will  arise 
the  new  heavens  and  new  earth.  Christianity  is 
Judaism  advanced  and  consummated.    The  sacri- 


*  Mount  Moriah  is  now  crowned  with  the  mosque  of  St.  Omar, 
whose  entrance  has  long  been  forbidden  to  the  Christians,  and  kept 
sacred  for  the  followers  of  Mahomet. — Head.  Sac.  Mount,  p.  29. 


248         -    •       ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

fices  of  the  Israelites  were  merged  in  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  Jesus.  The  old  temple  and  the  new 
were  both  destroyed.  Not  one  stone  was  left  upon 
another.  But  we  know  there  is  another  temple  ' 
on  earth  and  another  building  above.  There  are 
many  mansions  of  flesh  which  have  rotted  down 
into  dust ;  but  they  will  all  be  reconstructed  when 
doomsday  comes.  The  glorified  bodies  of  the 
righteous  will  become  beautiful  temples,  and  a 
Mighty  Master  will  preside  over  their  mysteries 
and  evolve  the  true  worship.  They  shall  resemble 
those  temples  which  were  caught  up  into  glory. 
And  they  were  types.  Elijah  never  tasted  death, 
Enoch*  walked  with  God,  and  was  not ;  for  God 
took  him. — Gen.  v.  24.  Some  of  our  masonic 
antiquaries  have  asserted  that  Enoch  was  a 
Mason.  They  have  been  led  to  think  so,  perhaps, 
on  account  of  some  traditions  of  the  Order  which 
have  a  reference  to  his  life  and  conduct.  Masonry 
furnishes  us  with  an  account  of  some  strange 
visions  which  the  patriarch  had,  and  which 
afforded  some  brilliant  illustrations  of  the  truth. 
Certain  it  is,  that  the  memory  of  this  antediluvian 

*  The  translation  of  Enoch,  which  took  place  in  the  three  hundred 
and  ^ixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  afforded,  at  one  and  the  same  time,  an 
evidence  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  and  the  resurrection  of  the 
body.— 1  PicL  Did.  p.  431. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  249 

father  is  clierished  by  the  fraternity  and  hallowed 
in  the  traditions  of  the  Order;  and  whatever  is 
illustrative  in  his  life  has  been  adopted  into 
masonry.  The  name  of  Enoch  is  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  events  of  Moriah  and  the  building 
of  the  first  temple.  And  there  is  reason  to  believe 
that  the  patriarchy  to  whom  the  Almighty  had 
manifested  himself,  was  favoured  with  a  vision  of 
the  Urim  and  Thummim,  the  true  meaning  of 
which  all  the  commentators  on  the  Bible  say  has 
never  been  discovered.  It  is  thought  that  nothing 
material  was  designed,  and  that  they  were  not  the 
work  of  man.  The  literal  signification  of  the 
words  are  lights  and  perfections. — Clarke  s  Com. 
and  UOyly  and  Manfs^  Ex.  xxviii.  30.  They  were 
■peculiar  manifestations  of  Deity,  or  illuminations 
of  truth.  Rabbi  Solomon  says,  that  the  holy 
name  of  Jehovah,  written  on  a  plate  of  gold,  and 
added  to  the  pectoral,  was  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim.*    The  traditions  of  masonry,  if  we  were 


*  The  pectoral  was  placed  on  the  high  priest's  bosom.  Christ  was 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Father.  The  Urim  and  Thummim  were  a  light 
and  guide  to  the  Israelites.  Christ  is  the  same  to  his  people ;  and 
with  piuch  greater  propriety.  The  light  of  Urim,  though  a  type  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  was  imperfect,  because  the  latter  light  is  more 
resplendent  than  the  sun,  more  glorious  than  the  arch  of  heaven,  with 
all  its  glittering  panoply. — 2  01.  Land.  p.  532,  note  83. 

32 


250  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

permitted  to  make  them  public,  would  probably 
tbrow  some  light  upon  the  true  meaning  of  these 
words.  God  was  never  consulted  by  Urim  and 
Thummim,  from  the  consecration  of  Solomon's 
temple  to  the  time  of  its  destruction ;  and  after  its 
destruction,  it  is  never  once  mentioned. — Clarke  b 
Com.  Ex.  xxviii.  30.  Masonic  tradition  informs 
us  that  Enoch  stood  in  his  day  on  the  very  ground 
on  which  that  famous  house  was  built ;  and  that 
he  had  been  entertained  there  with  some  remark- 
able visions,  and  was  wonderfully  favoured  on 
that  holy  spot  with  manifestations  of  the  shekinah. 
And  although  he  may  not  have  been,  strictly 
speaking,  a  Mason,  the  founders  of  our  institution 
deemed  it  wise  to  introduce  into  the  regular  lec- 
tures some  very  interesting  facts  of  his  history, 
which  have  been  effectually  preserved  to  the 
masonic  world.  These  traditions  are  not  only 
curious,  but  valuable  to  the  craft,  as  they  serve  to 
illustrate  the  principles  of  the  Order.  Enoch  was 
at  the  head  of  the  patriarchal  dispensation ;  Moses, 
of  the  law;  Elijah,  of  the  prophets;  and  our 
Saviour,  of  the  gospel. — Fict.  Did.  p.  450.  Enoch 
was  a  "mysterious  man  of  the  longest  immor- 
tality." He  had  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
ineffable  name  of  the  Almighty.  He  knew  the 
Lord,  for  he  had  walked  with  him.    He  never 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION  251 

knew  corruption,  for  God  took  him  when  he 
walked  with  him.  Here,  then,  is  an  ancient 
proof  of  another  world,  and  immortality.  If 
Enoch  was  not  a  Mason,  he  possessed  knowledge 
which  was  after  his  day  made  a  part  of  our  mystic 
lore.  His  name  is  enrolled  in  the  ancient  archives 
of  the  Order.  His  memory  has  a  niche  in  our 
temple;  and  we  can  never  pass  it  by,  without 
being  reminded  of  the  judgment  to  come.  We 
may  look  beyond  the  flood,  and  in  the  eye  of 
imagination  behold  the  ascending  patriarch.  A 
bright  cloud  is  beneath  his  feet — a  glorious  canopy 
above  him.  His  eye  of  faith  was  even  then  fixed 
on  that  beautiful  star  which  afterwards  shone  in 
the  east.  On  and  on  he  went — higher  and  higher 
he  ascended — until  he  reached  the  land  of  life  arid 
light  eternal.  And  the  mysterious  cloud  which 
bore  him  thither  threw  its  golden  shadow  upon 
the  earth  and  covered  all  ages.  But  we  cannot  go 
the  way  Enoch  did.  With  us,  the  dust  of  the 
sepulchre  before  the  resurrection — darkness  before 
light — death  before  the  life  to  come — the  night  of 
the  grave  before  an  eternal  day.  But  a  Christian 
fraternity  may  gaze  on  the  shining  heavens  which 
the  patriarch  mounted,  and  ponder  upon  that 
which  was  adumbrated  when  he  set  his  feet  on 


252 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


the  battlements  of  the  upper  world — redemption 
and  immortality . 

-  The  ascension  of  Enoch  was  typical  of  the 
ascension  of  Christ ;  and  what  place  did  he  reach 
in  glory  ?  The  Son  of  man  ascended  up  where  he 
was  before. — John  vi.  62.  St.  Paul  was  caught 
up  to  the  third  heavens.  Christ  passed  through 
the  heavens. — Heb.  iv.  14.  He  was  higher  than 
the  heavens. — Hel.  vii.  26.  And  he  ascended  up 
far  above  all  heavens.^ — Eph.  iv.  10.  Whither, 
then,  did  the  patriarch  go  ?  Through  the  heavens 
— higher  than  the  heavens — far  above  all  heavens. 
He  passed  the  "  white-robed  multitude"  and  the 
glittering  hosts.  He  beheld  joy  smihng  on  the 
"  fair  brows  of  cherubim,"  and  glistening  in  the 
"flowing  locks  of  seraphim."  He  passed  on  to 
the  most  holy  place — to  the  presence-chamber  of 
Deity.  There,  anterior  to  the  flood,  and  when 
this  world  was  youngs  he  stood  before  the  throne, 
bone  of  our  bone,  and  flesh  of  our  flesh. 

We  are  aware  that  many  of  the  brethren  may 
doubt,  if  they  do  not  entirely  differ  with  us  in  the 
views  presented.  In  regard  to  the  landmarks  of 
our  institution,  there  can  be  but  little  room  for 
disputation.  Nothing  can  be  added  to  or  taken 
from  them,  according  to  the  constitutions  of 
masonry.    They  are  permanent.    But  in  regard 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  253 

to  what  these  landmarks  mean,  it  cannot  be 
expected  that  we  will  all  agree,  any  more  than  the 
commentators  on  the  Bible  should.  The  Jew  has 
a  right  to  one  opinion,  and  the  Christian  to 
another;  the  unitarian  may  entertain  his  own 
view,  and  the  trinitarian  his;  but  their  different 
creeds  or  beliefs  can  in  no  manner  change  the 
word  of  revelation.  No  man  can  add  unto  the 
words  of  the  book,  or  take  away  from  the  words 
of  the  book  of  prophecy. — Rev.  xxii.  18. 

It  is  conceded  tha-t  the  obligations  of  masonry 
will  never  conflict  with  our  political  or  religious 
creeds;  but  the  principles  of  the  institution  do 
certainly  teiach  us  both  our  social  and  religious 
duties.  We  are  instructed  to  be  good  men  and 
true,*  and  to  strictly  obey  the  moral  law;  to  be 
peaceable  citizens,  and  to  conform  to  the  civil  law 
of  the  land  in  which  we  live;  to  cultivate  the 
social  virtues,  promote  the  general  welfare,  avoid 
all  quarrels,  and  hold  in  veneration  our  ancient 
patrons.f — Cross  s  6%.  p.  62.    A  Mason  is  obliged, 


*  Gude  menne  and  true,  kennynge  eidher  odher  to  be  soche,  doe 
always  love  the  more  as  they  be  more  gude. — Ancient  MSS.  Bodl. 
and  Mas.  Lib.  p.  66. 

f  We  are  charged  to  be  lovers  of  peace,  and  obedient  to  the  civil 

powers  which  yield  us  protection  and  are  set  over  us,  wherever  we 

reside  or  work.     No  mason  can  be  countenanced  in  his  crimes  or 

Y 

) 


254  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

by  his  tenure,  to  obey  the  moral  law ;  and  if  he 
rightly  understand  the  art,  he  will  never  be  a 
stupid  atheist,  nor  an  irreligious  libertine;  and 
will  never  act  against  the  great  inward  light  of 
his  own  eonscience— Old  Const,  sec.  1.  Before 
any  man  can  be  initiated  into  the  Order,  he  must 
not  only  acknowledge  the  existence  of  God,  but  he 
must  put  his  trust  in  him.  To  trust  in  God,  is 
something  more  than  a  mere  belief  in  God.  It  is 
to  rely  upon  him  in  all  time  of  trouble  and  pros- 
perity, to  repose  confidence  in  his  promises,  and  to 
have  faith  in  him.  If  we  trust  in  him,  our  faith 
is  well  founded.  By  faith  come  hope  and  charit^y; 
and  by  faith  only  can  we  be  made  acquainted  with 
things  not  seen. — Heb.  xi.  1.  We  walk  hy  faith, 
not  hy  sight. — In  the  name  of  God  shall  the  Gen- 
tiles trust;  that  is,  they  shall  put  their  faith  in 
him,  and  full  belief  in  Bis  declarations,  expressed 
or  implied,  of  future  good.  The  Israelites  put 
their  trust  in  God,  when  they  passed  through  the 

rebellion  against  the  state. — Old  Const,  sec.  2.  It  is  the  duty 
every  Mason  to  practise  the  social  virtues ;  to  avoid  all  manner  of 
intemperance;  to  be  industrious  and  just;  to  be  patie-rit^'m6ek,^ self- 
denying,  and  forbearing ;  to  govern  his  family  with  affection,  dignity, 
and  prudence;  to  succour  the  distressed  and  assist  the  poor;  to  abstain 
from  all  malice,  slander,  and  evil  speaking,  and  from  all  ungodly 
language — keeping  always  a  tongue  of  good  report. — Ibid,  sec.  3. 
How  few  of  the  craft  perform  their  duties ! 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  255 


Ked  Sea.  We  are  told  in  the  Scriptures  that  fear 
came  upon  them  when  they  ceased  to  put  their 
trust  in  the  Almighty. — -Num.  xiv.  11.  And  to 
trust  in  God  implies  something  more  than  a  bare 
act  of  faith.  It  implies  an  addition  of  hope,  love, 
and  affiance. — Pearson  on  the  Creed,  p.  23.  It 
implies  that  our  hope  is  centred  in  God ;  our 
affections  are  fixed  upon  him ;  that  we  are  affi- 
anced to  him,  and  pledged  to  a  faithful  perform- 
ance of  our  duties.  When  we  say,  then,  that 
our  trust  is  in  God,  the  declaration  is  as  strong 
"  as  words  can  make  up  vows." 

But  let  us  present  another  view  of  the  matter. 
We  will  suppose  that  to  declare  our  trust  in  God, 
masonically  means  nothing  more  than  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  our  belief  in  the  existence  of  a 
Supreme  Being.  Now,  no  atheist  can  be  admitted 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  mysteries,  according  to  the 
fundamental  rule.*  A  belief  in  God  is  ^  part  of 
the  Christian's  creed.    It  is  the  first  article  of  his 

*  The  first,  the  essential  qualification  of  a  candidate  is  faith  in  God. 
— Mack.  Lex.  p.  101.  There  are  three  general  heads  of  duty  which 
Masons  ought  always  to  inculcate,  viz  :  to  God,  our  neighbour,  and 
ourselves :  to  God,  in  never  mentioning  his  name  but  with  that 
reverential  awe  which  a  creature  ought  to  bear  to  his  Creator ;  to  our 
neighbour,  in  acting  on  the  square,  or  doing  as  we  would  be  done 
by ;  and  to  ourselves,  in  avoiding  intemperance  or  excess. — Mas.  Lib. 
p.  157. 


256 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


faith ;  and  it  is  the  first  declaration  of  a  candidate 
for  initiation.  It  is  the  foundation  of  the  Chris- 
tian's creed,  or  the  corner-stone  upon  which  he 
builds.  It  is  th^  first  and  necessary  article  of  a 
Mason's  creed.  An  atheist  is  in  a  hopeless  con- 
dition, while  there  is  great  hope  of  improvement 
in  one  who  believes  in  an  overruling  Providence. 
The  latter  may  be  instructed,  and  may  be  brought 
gradually  to  Hght  and  knowledge.  The  whole 
truth  cannot  shine  upon  him  at  once.  He  may  be 
advanced  in  wisdom.  He  is  furnished  with  the 
Holy  Bible,  to  study  and  investigate.  He  believes 
i.^  God,  and  God  is  the  author  of  the  Bible.  Ma- 
sonry does  not  tell  him  so  in  express  words ;  but 
he  is  informed  that  the  Bible  is  the  first  great 
light.  Without  that  light,  there  would  be  moral 
darkness,  and  "chaos  would  come  again."  Then, 
it  is  the  duty  of  a  Mason  to  investigate  the  Bible 
and  examine  into  its  truth.  He  can  never  be 
bright,  unless  he  studies  that  heavenly  volume. 
His  mind  is  directed  to  the  serious  consideration 
of  its  doctrines;  and  if  he  will  only  obey  the  in- 
struction, by  and  by  he  will  perceive  that  its 
truths  are  sublimely  enforced  in  the  solemn  cere- 
monies through  which  he  has  passed.  As  he 
advances  in  study,  more  light  will  become  visible. 
Belief  is  not  the  result  of  a  moment.    It  grows 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION. 


257 


like  the  mustard  seed.  The  initiate  started  out 
with  a  mere  belief  in  God ;  now  he  relies  upon  his 
goodness  and  mercy.  That  God  he  now  truly 
trusts.  He  argues  with  himself: — God  inhabits 
eternity  ;  and,  like  the  circle,  has  neither  beginning 
nor  end.  He  is  alpha  and  omega — the  first  and 
the  last — the  beginning  and  the  ending.  I  put 
my  trust  in  the  Almighty ;  I  believe  in  his  om- 
nipotence, which  hath  no  bounds ;  I  rely  upon  his 
goodness  and  mercy,  for  they  have  no  limits;  I 
acknowledge  his  overruling  providence,  which  is 
infinite.  God  liveth  for  ever.  There  must  be  a 
great  future.  Man  is  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
made.  His  soul  is  a  thinking  and  sentient  princi-  , 
pie.  It  is  immaterial.  Is  it  not  indestructible? 
Is  the  earth  its  home  ?  The  dust  its  final  resting- 
place?  It  cannot  perish.  It  has  an  eternal 
destination.  But  where?  It  is  polluted.  It 
must  be  cleansed.  The  soul  is  immortal.  It  will 
survive  the  rubbish  of  the  world.  Material  nature 
will  expire — the  cathedral  of  the  universe  will  be 
burnt  up — but  the  soul  will  rise  above  the  funereal 
fires.  Eternity  is  its  destination.  It  will  there 
grow  in  grace,  or  grow  in  crime.  It  will  receive 
higher  and  higher  degrees  of  wisdom  in  the  spirit- 
land  of  peace,  or  sink  deeper  and  deeper  in  the 
world  of  the  lost.    Shall  I  be  saved  ?   I  believe  in 

33  t2 


•V. 

258  .  ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 

God — my  trust  is  in  him.  But  I  must  fear, 
reverence,  worship,  love,  and  obey  him:  I  must 
fear  him,  for  he  is  a  terrible  God;  I  must  reverence 
him,  for  he  is  a  great  God;  I  must  worship  him, 
for  he  is  holy;  love  him,  for  he  is  good;  obey  him, 
for  he  is  mighty,  and  hath  power  to  kill,  and  will 
cast  the  disobedient  soul  into  hell.  I  will  endea- 
vour to  walk  before  the  Almighty  God  and  be  per- 
fect. If  he  visits  me  with  adversity,  I  will  humble 
my  soul  beneath  the  pressing  and  strong  hand  of 
my  God,  that  he  may  exalt  me  in  due  time.  I  will 
drink  of  the  bitter  waters,  and  hope  that  every 
drop  will  increase  my  thirst,  which  nothing  can 
slake  but  the  Fountain  of  eternal  joy.  The  road 
of  my  life  may  be  rugged,  but  it  leads  to  the  city 
and  the  temple.  The  Christian  will  reach  the 
sanctuary,  for  there  is  a  sojourner  who  will  travel 
with  him  through  time ;  and  when  the  great  pro- 
clamation shall  be  issued  from  the  throne,  the  soul 
of  the  good  man  will  go  up  to  the  new  Jerusalem, 
to  aid  and  assist  in  rebuilding  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  beneath  whose  living  arches  the  mysteries 
of  redemption  will  be  revealed. 

But  it  may  be  urged,  that  if  a  belief  in  God  is 
the  only  article  of  faith  which  a  worthy  man  is 
required  to  subscribe  in  order  to  entitle  him  to 
become  a  Mason,  then  the  Jew,  or  any  other 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  259 

person  who  believes  in  the  existence  of  God,  may 
partake  of  the  mysteries.  Does  this  militate 
against  our  views  ?  It  rather  fortifies  them.  The 
Jew  may  never  be  brought  to  the  light,  or  confess 
Christ  crucified.  He  may  believe  in  the  fact  of 
our  lost  innocence,  and  look  forward  to  the  means 
of  its  restoration :  he  may  receive  all  the  degrees, 
and  still  cling  to  the  delusion  of  his  fathers:  he 
m^y  only  perceive  in  the  signs,  types,  and  symbols 
of  our  institution  something  to  remind  him  of  that 
Saviour,  who  he  believes  is  yet  to  come.  But 
there  is  hope  that  the  Jew  may  be  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  Word,  which  is  Christ.  The 
Jews  were  taken  captive  when  their  city  was 
destroyed.  Did  they  not  return  from  Babylon 
to  rebuild  their  city  and  their  temple?  They 
are  now  dispersed  among  all  nations,  but  they  will 
one  day  take  up  their  march  to  their  native  land. 
They  have  lost  the  word,  but  they  shall  find  it. 
God  has  said  so;  and  they  believe  in  their  God. 
He  has  never  violated  his  promises.  Paradise 
was  lost  on  earth — it  will  be  regained  in  heaven. 
The  garden  which  was  eastward  in  Eden  has 
been  long  a  heap  of  ruins ;  but  there  is  a  lovelier 
Paradise  beyond  the  stream  of  death. 

The  Jews  have  bee^  looking  for  ages  for  their 
great  King  and  Deliverer;  while  Christian  Masons, 


260 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


with  the  aid  of  the  light  of  the  new  dispensation, 
behold  the  types  and  prophecies  fulfilled.  And 
can  we  not  call  the  J ew  our  brother  ?  We  can 
sympathize  with  him.  "The  sorrows  of  more 
than  eighteen  centuries  are  gathered  on  his  brow." 
The  finger  of  prophecy  has  pointed  out  the  way 
of  his  mysterious  being.  We  know  the  destiny  of 
his  race.  We  admire  his  ancient  lineage  and  noble 
birth.  Our  Saviour  was  a  Jew.  The  blood  of  a 
Jew  flowed  to  save  a  world.  The  Jews  possess 
great  power,  if  it  were  concentrated.  The  sinews 
of  peace  and  war  lie  in  the  palms  of  their  hands ; 
and  the  day  will  surely  come  when  their  power 
will  be  seen  and  felt.  Brighter  days  await  them. 
They  will  all  be  brought  to  light,  for  they  will 
travel  to  the  East.  The  prophets  have  foretold 
their  return  to  the  land  of  Judea,  the  dear  home 
of  their  fathers.*  The  vail  will  be  removed  from 
the  face  of  Israel,  and  "the  chain  of  their  spirit 
broken;"  when,  like  an  army  of  redeemed  free- 
men, they  will  march  to  the  Holy  Land,  and 
make  the  hills  of  Judea  resound  with  the  praises 
of  the  Lord  our  Redeemer.  Very  few  of  the  race 
will,  perhaps,  ever  become  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, until  the  time  for  the  fulfilment  of  pro- 

*  See  D'Oyly  and  Mant's  Com.  Ezekiel  xxxvii.  9.  1  Mel.  Ser. 
210—302. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  261 

phecy  shall  roll  round.  Till  then,  their  lives  will 
continue  to  hang  in  doubt  before  them.  According 
to  the  constitutions  of  the  Order,  every  Mason 
must  believe  in  the  eternal  existence  of  God,  and 
pay  that  worship  which  is  due  to  him;  and  the 
brethren  are  to  be  charged  to  adhere  to  the  essen- 
tials of  religion,  leaving  each  brother  to  his  own 
judgment  as  to  the  particular  forms. — Old  Const. 
sec.  1.  Every  brother  has  a  right  to  entertain 
any  opinion  which  he  may  deem  best  as  to  the 
manner  of  worshipping  God,  and  may  place  such 
f  construction  upon  the  tenets  of  the  Order  as  his 
judgment  may  dictate.  Of  course  nothing  can  be 
engrafted  upon  the  regular  lectures,  nor  can  the 
ancient  landmarks  be  in  any  wise  changed. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  the  Jews  substi- 
tuted the  word  Adonai^  for  the  incommunicable 
name  of  God.  They  were  averse  to  writing  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  except  on  very  particular  occa- 
sions.-)-— Fed.  Bid.    They  acknowledge  that  the 


*  They  contend  that  the  true  pronunciation  of  the  word  signifying- 
God  or  Jehovah  has  been  lost,  and  that  whosoever  possesses  it  could 
reveal  secrets  or  mysteries. — 1  Fid.  Did.  p.  35.  The  Mohammedans 
have  a  tradition,  that  when  Noah  was  in  the  ark,  it  moved  or  remained 
stationary  at  his  pleasure,  by  the  pronunciation  of  the  sacred  word. 

t  We  have  heard  with  our  ears  and  our  fathers  have  declared  to  us, 
that  in  their  time  and  in  times  of  old,  it  was  not  lawful  for  any  one  to 


262 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


true  pronunciation  of  the  incommunicable  name 
of  God  is  lost.  Jesus,  when  he  hung  upon  the 
crossj  and  during  his  last  agonies,  pronounced  it, 
but  the  Jews  knew  it  not:  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabach- 
thani? — that  is  to  say.  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  And  some  of  them  which 
stood  there,  when  they  heard  that,  said,  This  man 
calleth  for  Elias.  And  straightway  one  of  them 
ran,  and  took  a  spunge,  and  filled  it  with  vinegar, 
and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink.  The 
rest  said.  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come 
to  save  him. — Matt,  xxvii.  46 — 49.  Justin  Mar- 
tyr, in  his  Apology  for  the  Christians  to  Antoninus 
Pius,  says,  that  all  the  Jews  taught  that  God,  who 
cannot  be  named,  spoke  to  Moses.  Whence  the 
prophetic  spirit  reproached  them  by  Isaiah  thus, 
saying :  "  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass 
his  master's  crib;  but  Israel  doth  not  know,  my 
people  doth  not  consider."  And,  in  like  manner, 
Jesus  Christ  himself  also  said,  upbraiding  the  Jews 

mention  the  sacred  and  mysterious  name  of  the  Most  High,  except  the 
high-priest,  once  a  year,  when  he  entered  into  the  holy  of  holies  alone, 
and,  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  made  propitiation  for  the  sins  of 
Israel. — 2  01.  Land.  p.  543,  n.  17.  In  the  persecution  which  took 
place  after  the  death  of  Antoninus  Pius,  Attains,  in  the  midst  of  his 
torments,  while  being  roasted  in  an  iron  chair  by  a  slow  fire,  was 
asked  what  was  the  name  of  God.  His  reply  was,  "  God  is  not  like 
man,  he  hath  no  name.'l 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  263 

for  that  they  knew  not  what  the  Father  is  and 
what  the  Son  is :  "  No  one  knoweth  the  Father  but 
the  Son ;  neither  knoweth  any  one  the  Son  but  the 
Father,  and  they  to  whomsoever  the  Son  shall 
reveal  it."  And  the  Word  of  God  is  his  Son. — 
Justin  Martyrs  Apol.  p.  82. 

Masonry,  we  have  much  reason  to  hope,  will  go 
far  toward  furnishing  the  word  of  God  to  the 
nations  which  are  now  wandering  in  darkness. 
Some  of  the  craft  may  be  found  in  every  land, 
and  the  Order  will  yet  accomplish  much  under 
the  providence  of  the  Almighty,  for  it  is  the 
pioneer  of  Christianity.  It  can  penetrate  places, 
with  little  difficulty,  where  the  light  of  the  gospel 
has  never  been  shed;  and  it  is  calculated  to  pre- 
pare the  minds  of  men  for  the  reception  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  Even  the  fact  that  there  are 
Masons  among  all  nations  and  tongues,  invites  the 
mind  to  the  contemplation  of  that  glorious  time 
when  light  and  knowledge  will  penetrate  the 
darkest  corners  of  the  earth,  and  the  deserts 
and  waste  places  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the 
rose;  when  every  tribe,  and  kindred,  and  nation, 
and  tongue,  will  be  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
Lord;  when  the  Jew  and  Gentile  will  meet  and 
mingle  together,  without  any  jar  or  discord,  to 
worship  one  God  and  obey  one  Master. 


LECTURE  XII. 


And  we  say,  that  this  Christian  resurrection  of  life  is  the  vesting 
and  setting  of  the  souls  of  good  men  in  their  glorious,  spiritual, 
heavenly,  and  immortal  bodies. — Cudworth. 

And  are  you  sure  that  old  age  will  come  with  all  these  circum- 
stances inviting  to  repentance  1  It  may  be,  and  it  is  very  likely  to 
be,  to  life,  what  the  winter  is  to  the  year,  a  time  of  chillness  and 
numbness,  and  of  deadness  of  the  faculties  for  repentance. — Pearce. 

Who  but  the  Father  of  spirits,  possessed  of  perfect  prescience,  even 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  will,  and  of  the  actions  of  free,  intelligent, 
and  moral  agents,  could  have  revealed  their  unbounded  and  yet 
unceasing  wanderings,  unvailed  their  destiny,  and  unmasked  the 
minds  of  the  Jews  and  of  their  enemies  in  every  age  and  in  every 
clime  1 — Keith. 

From  its  base 
Ev'n  to  yon  turret's  trim  and  taper  spires, 
All  is  of  the  choicest  masonry. — Mason. 

The  third  degree  of  the  Order  of  Masons  is 
called  the  Sublime  degree  of  a  Master  Mason.* 


*  In  this  degree,  which  is  the  perfection  of  symbolic  or  ancient 
craft  masonry,  the  purest  of  truths  are  unvailed  amid  the  most  awful 
ceremonies.  None  but  he  who  has  visited  the  holy  of  holies  and 
travelled  the  road  of  peril,  can  have  any  conception  of  the  mysteries 
unfolded  in  this  degree. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  192. 

34  Z  265 


266 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Before  the  completion  of  the  first  temple,  it  is 
said  that  there  were  only  three  Master  Masons,* 
and  each  one  doubtless  possessed  an  equal  knowr 
ledge  of  the  mysteries  appertaining  to  the  third 
degree.  The  Saviour  of  mankind  is  often  spoken 
of  in  Scripture  as  our  Master.  And  ye  shall  say 
unto  the  good  man  of  the  house,  The  Master  saith 
unto  thee.  Where  is  the  guest-chamber,  where  1 
shall  eat  the  passover  with  my  disciples  ? — LuJce 
xxii.  11.  When  Christ  foretold  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  it  was  asked:  Master,  but  when 
shall  these  things  be?  and  what  sign  will  there 
be  when  these  things  shall  come  to  pass? — Ihid, 
xxi.  7.  Some  of  the  Sadducees  denied  the  doc- 
trine of  the  resurrection,  and  put  certain  questions 
to  Jesus,  and  addressed  him  under  the  title  of 
Master. — Ihid,  xx.  28.  The  father  of  a  lunatic, 
desiring  to  have  his  son  healed  and  the  unseen 
spirit  rebuked  which  possessed  his  child,  cried  out 
from  the  midst  of  a  large  company,  and  said : 
Master,  I  beseech  thee  to  look  upon  my  son ;  for 
he  is  mine  only  child. — Ihid,  ix.  38.    Even  Judas 


*  To  the  praiseworthy  three 
Who  founded  this  degree, 
May  all  their  virtues  be 
Deep  in  our  hearts. — Old  Song, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  26^( 

Iscariot  called  our  Saviour  Master:  He  saith  unto 
him,  Master,  Master;  and  kissed  him. — Mark  xiv. 
45.  All  the  disciples  called  him  Master.  The 
tjtle  was  applied  to  him  as  a  ruler  and  instructer. 
But  be  ye  not  called  Eabbi:  for  one  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren. — Matt. 
xxiii.  8.  The  disciple  is  not  above  his  Master: 
but  every  one  that  is  perfect  shall  be  as  his 
Master. — LuJce  vi.  40.  And  what  is  the  duty  of 
a  Master  ?  It  is  to  teach  and  instruct,  particu- 
larly in  regard  to  Divine  things.  Jesus  imparted 
Divine  instruction,  and  came  down  from  heaven 
on  a  Divine  mission.  He  was  the  Ruler  of  the 
universe.  He  was  and  is  Master  of  all  things; 
and  he  will  raise  us  all  at  the  judgment.  It  is 
only  through  the  power  and  merits  of  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah  that  we  can  ever  hope  to  be 
raised  to  a  blessed  immortality. 

The  word  raised"^  is  a  masonic  term.  It  is  also 
a  Scriptural  one :  How  are  the  dead  raised  up  ? — 


*  This  term  is  used  to  designate  the  reception  of  a  candidate  into 
the  third  degree  of  masonry.  It  alludes  to  a  portion  of  the  ceremony, 
which  is  fully  understood  by  a  Master.— -MzcA;.  Lex,  p.  193.  The 
third  degree  is  the  summit  of  ancient  craft  masonry. — Idem.  The 
enlightened  Hutchinson  said,  the  Master  Mason  represented  a  man 
under  the  Christian  doctrine,  saved  fiom  the  grave  of  iniquity,  anu 
raised  to  the  faith  of  salvation. — Mi.  Rez.  p.  182. 


268 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


1  Cor.  XV.  35.  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and 
another  glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of 
the  stars;  for  one  star  differeth  from  another  star 
in  glory.  So  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
Tt  is  sown  in  corruption ;  it  is  raised  in  incorrup- 
tion.  It  is  sown  in  dishonour;  it  is  raised  in 
glory:  it  is  sown  in  weakness;  it  is  raised  in 
power.  It  is  sown  a  natural  body;  it  is  raised  a 
spiritual  body.  Behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery : 
We  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed, 
in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the 
last  trump :  for  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the 
dead  shall  be  raised  incorruptible,  and  we  shall  be 
changed. — 1  Cor,  xv. 

The  doctrine  of  the  resurrection*  is  a  sublime 
doctrine,  and  is  powerfully  enforced  in  our  masonic 
bodies.  Our  ancient  Masters  believed  and  taught 
the  truth  of  the  resurrection.  Immortality,  we 
know,  was  brought  to  light  through  the  gospel; 
for  our  Saviour  said  of  himself:  I  am  the  resurrec- 


*  This  doctrine  is  elucidated  in  the  third  degree,  and  sublimely 
evolved  in  the  ceremonies.  Our  solemn  observances,  says  brother 
Mackey,  diffuse  a  sacred  awe,  and  inculcate  lessons  of  religious  truth. 
The  Master's  degree  testifies  our  faith  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body ; 
and,  while  it  inculcates  a  practical  lesson  of  prudence  and  unshrinking 
fidelity,  it  inspires  the  most  cheering  hope  of  that  final  reward  which 
belongs  alone  to  the  just  made  perfect. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  269 


tion  and  the  life.  But  there  is  nothing  to  be 
found  in  the  Old  Testament  or  the  New  which 
proves  that  our  brethren,  who  lived  anterior  to 
the  Christian  era,  had  no  idea  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  resurrection.  It  was  one  of  the  articles  of  the 
Jewish  religion  when  Christ  appeared  upon  the 
earth. — Matt.  xxii.  23.  Then,  from  this  fact  alone, 
we  might  lawfully  infer  that  the  doctrine  was 
known  before  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  though 
the  Sadducees  disputed  the  doctrine.  Christ 
proved  the  truth  of  the  doctrine,  in  his  own 
person  or  resurrection.  Job,  or  the  author  of  the 
book  of  Job,  ages  before,  it  seems,  believed  in  it: 
Oh  that  my  words  were  now  written !  Oh  that 
they  were  written  in  a  book!  That  they  were 
graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for 
ever !  For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and 
that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the 
earth.*  And  though  after  my  skin  worms  destroy 
this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God:  whom 

*  Bishops  Hall,  Patrick,  Pearson,  Sherlock,  Home,  Dr.  S.  Clarke, 
Peters,  Scott,  and  others,  all  agree  that  the  passage  quoted  in  the  text 
referred  to  our  gracious  Redeemer,  then  to  come.  See  D'Oyly  and 
Mant's  Com.,  where  these  interpreters  are  cited.  Scott  says  that  the 
prophecy  of  Enoch  {Jude  14,  15)  revealed  a  future  judgment.  The 
murder  of  Abel  suggested  the  idea  of  a  reward  for  the  righteous  in 
another  world;  and  Enoch's  translation,  the  belief  that  good  men  will 
enjoy  the  felicity  in  that  better  world  in  an  embodied  state. 

z  2 


270 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold, 
and  not  another ;  though  my  reins  be  consumed 
within  me.* — Job  xix.  23 — 27. 

We  are  aware  that  this  selection  from  Job  has 
received  the  closest  criticism,  and  that  there  are 
many  who  differ  in  opinion  as  to  the  proper  con- 
struction which  ought  to  be  given  to  it.  Some 
have  contended  that  it  has  a  direct  and  unequivo- 
cal reference  to  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection 
and  our  Kedeemer;  while  others  endeavour  to 
maintain  the  position  that  it  alludes  only  to  the 
restoration  of  Job  to  health,  family  comforts,  and 
general  prosperity. — Clarices  Com.  Job  xix.  23. 
But  if  the  passage  is  construed  upon  the  one 
principle,  which  Dr.  Clarke  has  laid  down,  the 
interpretation  seems  clear  and  distinct.  This  is 
the  principle :  "Job  was  now  under  the  especial 
inspiration'  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  spoke  prophetic- 


*  The  following  is  the  version  of  Dr.  Hale  of  this  passage : 
"  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  (is)  living, 
And  that  at  the  last  (day) 

He  will  arise  (in  judgment)  upon  dust  (mankind). 

And  after  my  skin  be  mangled  thus, 

Yet  ever  from  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  : 

Whom  I  shall  see  for  me  (on  my  side) 

And  mine  eyes  shall  behold  him  not  estranged ; 

(Though)  my  reins  be  (now)  consumed  with  me." 

2  Home's  Intro,  p.  237. 


NATURAL  AND  UEVEALED  RELIGION.  271 


ally."  How  it  can  be  reasonably  argued  that 
Job,  who  was  inspired  and  spoke  prophetically, 
referred  to  the  restoration  of  his  health  and  pros- 
perity, we  are  at  a  loss  to  determine.  Did  not  the 
Spirit  of  inspiration  have  a  higher  design  in  view  ? 
When  those  gifted  ones  of  old  spoke  prophetically, 
did  they  only  anticipate  an  event  which  was  ;to 
happen  on  the  morrow?  The  most  of  the  pro- 
phecies were  to  be  accomplished  after  the  lapse  of 
many  centuries.  If  Job  was  inspired  when  he 
uttered  these  sublime  words,  and  he  spoke  pro- 
phetically, can  we  doubt  that  he  referred  to  the 
resurrection  of  his  body,  which  he  knew  and  felt 
was  soon  to  return  to  the  dust,  and  that  Redeemer, 
through  whose  almighty  grasp  his  body  would  be 
raised  at  the  judgment?  "And  though  after  my 
skin  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh 
shall  I  see  God."  And  how  does  he  reason  the 
matter?  "For  I  know,"  says  he,  "that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the 
latter  day  upon  the  earth."  And  can  it  be  that 
he  had  no  conception  of  the  resurrection,  of  the 
judgment,  of  our  Saviour?  Was  he  not  speaking 
of  death,  corruption,  and  incorruption  ?  Does  he 
not,  in  express  words  declare,  that  after  his  body 
should  be  destroyed  by  worms,  he  would  see  God  ? 
How?    "In  my  flesh"  shall  I  see  him.  When? 


272 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


"In  the  latter  day."  And  why  then?  Because 
he  knew  that  his  Kedeemer  should  stand  upon  the 
earth  then;  he  knew  that  his  Kedeemer  liveth, 
and  would  come  to  judge  the  world,  when  all  then 
in  the  grave  should  hear  his  voice  and  come  forth, 
"they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the 
resurrection  of  damnation."  And  how  did  he 
know  this  ?  By  inspiration.  Job  did  not  expect 
to  be  restored  to  health.  He  was,  in  fact,  con- 
templating death.  His  prophetic  vision  was  fixed 
beyond  the  tomb.  The  eye  of  his  gifted  soul  was 
looking  forward  to  that  mighty  day  when  he 
should  be  raised  with  the  bodies  of  the  congrega- 
i  tion  of  the  dead — when  bone  should  come  to  its 

bone — sinew  to  sinew — flesh  to  flesh.  Job  had  a 
personal  interest  in  the  resurrection.  It  consoled 
him  to  feel  that  interest.  I  shall  see  God  for 
myself,  said  he.  And  we  shall  all  see  him  in  our 
flesh,  when  he  comes  to  judge  the  quick  and  the 
dead.  How  deep  and  solemn  will  be  the  trang 
actions  of  that  day ! 

"  Each  waiting  soul  must  claim  his  own,  when  the  archangel  soundeth. 
And  all  the  fields  and  all  the  hills  shall  move  a  mass  of  life ; 
Bodies  numberless,  crowding  on  the  land,  and  covering  the  trampled 
sea, 

Darkening  the  air  precipitate,  and  gathered  scathless  from  the  fire ; 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  273 


The  Himalayan  peaks  shall  yield  their  charge,  and  the  desolate  steppes 
of  Siberia, 

The  Maelstrom  disengulf  its  spoil,  and  the  iceberg  manumit  its  captive : 

All  shall  teem  with  life,  the  converging  fragments  of  humanity, 

Till  every  conscious  essence  greet  his  individual  frame; 

For  in  some  dignified  similitude,  alike,  yet  different  in  glory, 

This  body  shall  be  shaped  anew,  fit  dwelling  for  the  soul : 

The  hovel  hath  grown  to  a  palace,  the  bulb  hath  burst  into  the  flower, 

Matter  hath  put  on  incorruption,  and  is  at  peace  with  spirit." 

It  is  supposed  by  many  able  critics  tbat  the 
poem  or  book  of  J ob  was  composed  about  the  time 
of  the  Jewish  captivity.  If  this  supposition  be 
correct,  and  that  book  asserts  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection,  we  must  beUeve  that  the  doctrine 
was  at  that  time  known  to  the  Jewish  nation.  But 
it  is  altogether  probable  that  Job  was  his  own  bio- 
grapher. If  so,  then  the  doctrines  of  the  resurrec- 
tion and  future  judgment  were  known  at  a  very 
early  period  of  the  world ;  for  Job  was  a  contem- 
porary with  Eliphaz,  the  Temanite.  But  whether 
he  was  the  writer  of  the  book  or  not,  there  is  much 
reason  to  suppose  that  its  author  lived  anterior  to 
the  days  of  Moses,  though  some  of  the  most 
learned  commentators  have  thought  it  not  impro-  ^ 
bable  that  Moses  dictated  the  inspired  poem. 

But  we  need  not  rely  altogether  on  the  book  of 
Job  to  prove  the  knowledge  or  belief  of  the  Jews 
upon  the  subject.    The  books  of  Moses  and  the 

35 


274 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONKT  TO 


writings  of  the  prophets  were  received  by  the 
Israelites  as  divine ;  and  certainly  there  is  much 
to  be  found  in  those  writings  and  prophecies  which 
should  lead  us  to  think  that  these  favoured  people 
had  some  knowledge  of  a  resurrection.  Did  they 
not  look  forward  to  a  Redeemer^  to  the  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ?  They  believed  the  soul  was  immor- 
tal. Did  they  not  also  believe  in  the  resurrection 
of  the  body  ?  The  great  truth,  we  doubt  not,  was 
communicated  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  world. 
The  translation  of  Enoch  and  Elijah  must  have 
afforded  the  strongest  proof  of  a  future  world  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  and  of  an  existence  in 
that  world  of  embodied  but  purified  nature.  The 
fact  of  Enoch's  translation  and  the  belief  conse- 
quent to  it,  were  transmitted  through  the  family 
of  Abraham,  and  handed  down  from  century  to 
century.  No  Mason,  who  has  studied  our  land- 
marks and  the  moral  machinery  of  our  institution, 
can  hesitate  to  believe  that  our  three  most  ancient 
Masters  were  acquainted  with  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  body,  as  well  as  the  soul's 
future  state  of  existence. 

The  theology  of  the  patriarchs  taught  the 
doctrine  of  pardoning  mercy.  If  thou  doest  well, 
shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  ?  and  if  thou  doest  not 
well,  sin  Jieth  at  the  door. — Gen.  iv.  7.  The 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  2Y5 

patriarchs  had  a  divine  assurance  of  a  Saviour. 
The  promised  seed  is  spoken  of  in  the  third 
chapter  of  Genesis:  And  I  will  put  enmity 
between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy 
seed  and  her  seed :  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and 
thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel.  God  called  Abraham 
and  blessed  him  with  the  promise  of  Christ :  And 
I  will  bless  them  that  bless  thee,  and  curse  him 
that  curseth  thee:  and  in  thee  shall  all  the 
families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.* — Gen.  xii.  3. 
In  the  renewal  of  God's  covenant  with  Abraham, 
God  said,  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  bear  thee  a  son 
indeed;  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Isaac:  and 
I  will  establish  my  covenant  with  him  for  an  ever- 
lasting covenant,  and  with  his  seed  after  him. — 
Gen.  iLYii.  19.  And  the  Lord  blessed  Isaac  and 
said:  I  will  make  thy  seed  to  multiply  as  the 
stars  of  heaven,  and  will  give  unto  thy  seed  all 
these  countries;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed. — Ihid.  xxvi.  4. 
Jacob  blessed  Judah,  and  declared  that  "the 
sceptre  shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  law- 
giver from  beneath  his  feet,  until  Shiloh  come; 
and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be. 


*  "  In  thee,"  that  is,  in  thy  seed,  ch.  xxii.  18.  "  And  that  seed  is 
Christ."— Ga/.  iii.  16;  Ads  iii.  25. 


276 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


— -Ihid.  xlix.  10.  The  patriarchal  religion  was 
signally  exemplified  in  Abraham,  who  was  illus- 
trious for  his  faith,  piety,  and  righteousness,  ai^d 
whom  God  was  pleased  to  favour  with  special 
discoveries  of  his  will.  From  him  descended 
many  great  nations,  among  whom  this  religion,  in 
its  main  principles,  seems  to  have  been  preserved 
in  the  book  of  Job.  There  were  also  remarkable 
vestiges  of  it,  for  a  long  time,  among  several  other 
nations;  and,  indeed,  the  belief  of  one  Supreme 
God,  of  a  Providence,  of  a  hope  of  pardoning 
mercy,  a  sense  of  the  obligations  of  piety  and 
virtue,  and  of  the  acceptance  and  reward  of  sincere 
obedience,  and  the  expectation  of  a  future  state, 
were  never  entirely  extinguished.— 1  Homes  Intro. 
p.  140.  This  belief  in  another  state  of  being,  was 
handed  down  to  the  Israelites.  Hear  the  words 
of  Jesus  Christ,  addressed  to  the  Sadducees :  But 
as  touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  have  ye 
not  read  that  which  was  spoken  unto  you  by  God, 
saying,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of 
Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob?  God  is  not  the  God 
of  the 'dead,  but  of  the  living, — Matt.  xxii.  31,  32, 
David  and  Solomon  both  were  acquainted  with 
the  doctrine  of  a  future  existence,  and  also  of  the 
resurrection,  as  we  have  reason  to  think.  And 
moreover,  said  Solomon,  I  saw  under  the  sun  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  277 

place  of  judgment,  that  wickedness  was  there ;  and 
the  place  of  righteousness  that  iniquity  was  there. 
I  said  in  my  heart,  God  shall  judge  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked :  for  there  is  a  time  there  for 
every  purpose  and  for  every  work. — Eccl.  iii. 
16,  17.  The  existence  of  a  future  state  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  and  the  resurrection, 
were  more  clearly  made  known  in  the  progress  of 
ages,  and  were  powerfully  established  in  the  life 
and  character  of  the  Messiah.  Behold,  I  show 
you  a  mystery !"  And  what  was  that  mystery  ? 
The  truth  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  It 
shall  be  raised  again.  Our  ancient  craftsmen 
evolved  this  mystery.  It  was  shadowed  forth  in 
their  scenic  representations.  The  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  is  a  cardinal  doctrine  in  masonry.  It 
is  believed  by  the  fraternity  throughout  the  world, 
wherever  pure  free  masonry  exists  and  is  practised. 

The  resurrection  from  the  dead,  then,  is  a  fun- 
damental truth,  taught  in  the  old  Scriptures,  and 
powerfully  verified  in  the  New  Testament.  Jesus 
raised  the  dead  three  tinies.  He  raised  himself, 
through  his  own  strength,  which  was  the  power  of 
the  Godhead.  "I  lay  down  my  life,"  said  the 
Lord  Jesus,  "  that  I  might  take  it  again.  No  man 
taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I 
have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to 


278 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


take  it  up  again."  But  it  was  through  the  infinite 
power  of  the  Godhead  that  Christ  was  raised  from 
the  dead.  The  divinity  resided  in  humanity. 
Christ  was  God  in  the  flesh.  He  is  the  Son  of 
God,  and  coequal  with  the  Father.  God  is  a  unit. 
There  are  three  persons  and  one  God.  The 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  raised  Jesus  from 
the  tomb.  None  but  the  Mighty  Master  can  raise 
the  dead.  The  efficient  cause  of  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  is  to  be  considered,  says  Bishop  Pearson, 
either  as  principal  or  instrumental.  The  principal 
cause  was  God  himself;  for  no  other  power  but 
that  which  is  omnipotent  can  raise  the  dead.  It 
is  an  act  'beyond  the  acting  of  any  creature,  and 
unproportionate  to  the  power  of  any  finite  agent. 
- — Pearson  on  the  Creed,  p.  386.  But  the  energies 
of  omnipotence  resided  in  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah.  He  awoke  from  the  sleep  of  death,  and 
sprang  from  the  tomb  with  divine  majesty;  and 
was  afterwards  raised  to  that  sublime  world, 
where  he  now  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father 
Almighty.  The  great  Father  of  all,  said  the 
enlightened  Hutchinson,  in  his  lecture  on  the 
third  degree,  commiserating  the  miseries  of  the 
world,  sent  his  only  Son,  who  was  innocence  itself, 
to  teach  the  doctrine  of  salvation;  by  whom  man 
was  raised  from  the  death  of  sin  unto  the  life  of 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIG  EON.  279 


righteousness;  from  the  tomb  of  corruption  unto 
the  chambers  of  hope  ;  from  the  darkness  of  despair 
to  the  celestial  beams  of  faith ;  and  not  only 
working  for  us  this  redemption,  but  making  with 
us  the  covenant  of  regeneration ;  whence  we  are 
become  the  children  of  divinity  and  inheritors  of 
the  realms  of  glory. — AM,  Rez.  p.  181. 

The  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  Christianity.  And  it  is  through  him 
we  shall  be  raised.  We  have  endeavoured  to  show 
that  the  preparatory  degrees  of  the  Order  sha- 
dowed forth  the  resurrection,  or  certain  prophetic 
types  of  an  event  illustrative  of  it.  And  Christ 
made  prophetic  declaration  concerning  his  own 
resurrection.  He  foretold  his  death,  and  that  he 
would  rise  on  the  third  day.  The  very  day  pre- 
ceding his  crucifixion,  he  instituted  a  memorial 
of  his  death.  His  predicted  resurrection  caused 
the  soldiers  to  guard  his  tomb,  and  the  stone  wtiich 
covered  it  to  be  sealed.  After  three  days  I  will 
rise  again.  Command  therefore  that  the  sepulchre 
be  made  sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  his  disciples 
come  by  night,  and  steal  him  away,  and  say  unto 
the  people,  he  is  risen  from  the  dead :  so  the  last 
error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first.  Pilate  said 
unto  them.  Ye  have  a  watch :  go  your  way,  make 
it  as  sure  as  you  can.   So  they  w^ent,  and  made 


280 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing  the  stone,  and  ^^etting 
a  watch. — Matt,  xxvii.  63 — 66. 

Masons  describe  the  state  of  religion  under  the 
Jewish  law  in  the  following  style:  Her  tomb  was 
in  the  rubbish  and  the  filth  cast  forth  from  the 
temple,  and  acacia  wove  her  branches  over  her 
monument.  —  AM.  Rez.  p.  181.  But,  through 
power  of  the  atonement,  religion  came  forth,  like 
the  damsel  which  was  not  dead  but  slept,  to  a 
glorious  resurrection. 

The  ceremony  of  the  Master's  degree  is  truly 
sublime,  and  never  fails  to  make  a  deep  impression 
on  every  reflecting  brother.  The  following  selec- 
tion from  Ecclesiastes  is  usually  introduced  during 
the  ceremony:  Remember  now  thy  Creator*  in 
the  days  of  thy  youth,  while  the  evil  days  come 
not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt 
say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them;  while  the  sun, 
or  the  light,  or  the  moon,  or  the  stars,  be  not 
darkened,  nor  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain :  in 
the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall 
tremble,  and  the  strong  men  shall  bow  them- 


*  The  Hebrew  is  "thy  Creators,"  in  the  plural.  The  plural  is 
employed  to  show  the  plurality  of  persons  in  the  unity  of  essence, 
namely,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  For  these  three  Divine  per- 
sons consulted  together  concerning  the  creation  of  man. — Gm.  i.  26 ; 
uones  of  Nayland^  DWyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Eccl.  xii. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  281 

selves,  and  the  grinders  cease  because  they  are 
few,  and  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be 
darkened,  and  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the 
streets,  when  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low, 
and  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird, 
and  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought 
low ;  also  when  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which 
is  high,  and  fears  shall  be  in  the  way,  and  the 
almond  tree  shall  flourish,  and  the  grasshopper 
shall  be  a  burden,  and  desire  shall  fail:  because 
man  goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go 
about  the  streets :  or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed, 
or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken,  or  the  pitcher  be 
broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the  wheel  broken  at 
the  cistern.  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the 
earth  as  it  was :  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto 
God  who  gave  it.* — UccL  xii.  1 — 7;  Cross,  p.  34. 
How  beautiful  and  appropriate  is  the  selection  to 
be  used  on  the  occasion  of  conferring  the  third 
degree.    It  contains  a  thrilling  picture  of  old  age- 


*  This  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  finest  allegories  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment :  the  inconveniences  of  increasing  years,  the  debility  of  mind 
and  body,  the  torpor  of  the  senses,  are  expressed  most  learnedly  and 
eloquently  indeed,  but  with  some  degree  of  obscurity,  by  different 
images  derived  from  nature  and  common  life;  for,  by  this  enigmatical 
composition,  Solomon,  after  the  manner  of  the  oriental  sages,  intended 
to  put  to  trial  the  acuteness  of  his  readers. — 1  Hornets  Intro,  p.  365. 

•    36  >  2a2 


282 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  the  terrors  of  death.  The  three  steps  deline- 
ated on  the  Master's  carpet  are  the  open  emblems 
of  the  principal  stages  of  human  life,  namely, 
youth,  manhood,  and  old  age.  In  youth,  as 
Entered  Apprentices,  we  ought  to  be  industrious 
in  the  attainment  of  useful  knowledge;  in  man- 
hood, as  Fellow  Crafts,  we  should  apply  our  know- 
ledge to  the  discharge  of  our  respective  duties  to 
God,  our  neighbour,  and  ourselves ;  that  in  age,  as 
Master  Masons,  we  may  enjoy  the  happy  reflec- 
tions consequent  on  a  well  spent  life,  and  die  in 
the  hope  of  a  glorious  immortality.— 6^055'^  Cli.  p. 
38.  Let  us  present  another  view:  From  youth  to 
old  age, '  things  recent  and  things  confirmed  -are 
denoted,  as  one  of  the  purest  and  wisest  of  men 
believed.  Old  age,  then,  may  be  compared  to  a 
period  of  fulness :  Thou  shalt  come  to  thy  grave 
in  a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  in 
his  season. — Joh  v.  26.  Old  age  is  a  time  for 
putting  off  what  is  human;  and  while  it  denotes  a 
new  principle  of  representation,  it  also  denotes  an 
end  of  representation.  Anciently,  the  third  degree 
of  masonry  closed  the  elucidation  of  the  mysteries. 
The  Christian  dispensation,  which  is  the  third  and 
last,  is  the  end  of  Divine  representation.  There 
is  a  fulness  in  the  gospel,  and  all  things  are  con- 
firmed. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.     '  283 

The  reading  of  the  above  selection  from  Eccle- 
siastes,  is  as  the  rehearsal  of  some  sublime  eulogy 
on  the  character  of  our  ancient  institution.  It 
sustains,  too,  the  views  v^hich  we  have  expressed, 
while  it  contains  a  powerful  and  eloquent  vindica- 
tion of  the  moral  tendencies  of  the  Order.  It  bids 
the  young  to  remember  their  Creator  in  the  days 
of  their  youth;  which  injunction,  masonically  ap- 
plied, bids  us  to  remember  our  Creator  in  the  days 
of  our  apprenticeship.  It  is  the  duty  of  every 
Entered  Apprentice  to  adore  and  worship  God, 
while  the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw 
nigh  when  he  shall  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in 
them.  Here  is  a  reason  assigned  why  he  should 
remember  his  Creator.  There  are  evil  days  ahead. 
In  the  Master's  degree  the  third  step  is  taken,  and 
that  step  represents  old  age,  when  death  must 
needs  be  near  at  hand ;  when  the  evil  days  will 
come ;  when  every  one  who  has  not  remembered 
his  Creator,  will  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them. 
But  there  is  pleasure  to  be  found  in  the  snows  of 
wintry  life.  Age  may  come,  and  with  it  evil  days, 
decrepitude,  penury,  and  death;  but  the  Christian 
Mason  will  experience  much  pleasure  in  the  con- 
templation of  a  glorious  hereafter.  He  knows  that 
although  he  must  descend  into  the  grave,  he  will 
be  raised  again;  and  while  the  body,  for  a  season, 


284 


ANALOaY  OF  MASOXRY  TO 


shall  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  his  spirit  shall 
return  unto  God  who  gave  it."^ 

If  the  first  step  in  masonry  is  emblematical  of 
youth,  (which  step  is  cautiously  taken  in  the- 
degree  of  Entered  Apprentice,)  then  the  Entered 
Apprentice  should  be  reminded  of  his  duty  to 
God.  The  Entered  Apprentice  is  led  to  anticipate 
age,  is  taught  to  prepare  for  it  and  its  evil  days. 
Die  he  must.  The  silver  cord  must  be  loosM,  or 
the  golden  bowl  broken,  or  the  pitcher  broken  at 
the  fountain,  or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern. 
And  is  there  not  wisdom  in  masonrv  ?  The 


*  If  any  one  considered  the  matter  well,  would  this  appear  more 
incredible  than  it  would  if  we  were  not  in  the  body,  and  any  one 
should  assert  that  it  was  possible  for  bones  and  tendons  and  flesh  to 
be  formed,  as  we  see  in  the  human  body,  out  of  a  mere  drop  of  semi- 
nal matter !  For  let  us  suppose  an  imaginary  case.  If  ye  were  not 
such  as  ye  are,  nor  of  such  an  origin,  and  any  one  should  show  you 
the  generating  substance  and  a  painted  representation,  (of  the  human 
form,)  and  should  persist  in  affirming  that  the  one  could  be  produced 
from  the  other,  would  ye  believe  him  before  ye  saw  the  effect  pro- 
duced? No  one  would  be  bold  enough  to  assert  that  ye  would.  In 
the  same  manner  ye  now  disbelieve,  because  ye  never  saw  a  dead 
man  raised  to  life.  But,  even  if  ye  would  not  at  first  have  believed, 
that  from  a  little  drop  of  seminal  matter  such  bodies  could  be  formed, 
which  yet  ye  see  are  formed ;  so  consider,  that  it  is  not  impossible 
for  human  bodies,  decomposed,  and,  like  seed,  resolved  into  earth,  to 
arise  in  due  season,  at  the  command  of  God,  and  to  put  on  incorrup- 
tion. — Justin  Martyrh  Apol.  sect.  "25. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  285 

preacher  mentioned  in  Ecclesiastes  was  called 
wise,  because  he  taught  the  people  knowledge. 
He  gave  good  heed  and  sought  out  and  set  in 
order  many  proverbs.  The  preacher  sought  to 
find  acceptable  words :  and  that  which  was  written 
was  upright,  even  words  of  truth. — Eccl.  xii.  10. 
The  words  of  the  wise  are  as  nails  fastened  by  the 
masters  of  assemblies. 

.  All  things  in  the  masonic  lectures  are  carefully 
arranged,  collected,  and  set  in  order.  They  con 
tain  the  most  acceptable  words,  for  they  are  all 
upright,  words  of  truth.  They  are  the  words  of 
the  wise,  used  in  times  long  since  passed  away ; 
and  the  words  of  the  wise,  in  a  scriptural  sense, 
are,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  doctrines  of  faith  illustrated 
by  suitable  language.  But  let  us  hear  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  whole  matter :  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments :  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of 
man.  In  youth,  manhood,  and  old  age,  we 
should  fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments; 
for  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment, 
with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good  or 
whether  it  be  evil. — Eccl.  xii.  14. 

Old  age  is  not  the  most  favourable  season  in 
which  to  commence  the  service  of  God.  Youth  is 
the  best  time.  Manhood  should  wax  strong  or 
grow  in  faith.    The  Master  Mason  should  be  a 


286 


ANALOGY  OF  MA50XRY  TO 


good  mau.  wise  unto  salvation.  He  represents 
one,  as  it  were,  in  the  last  stage  of  existence. 
The  step  he  has  taken  is  emblematical  of  old  age, 
"when  death,  in  the  course  of  nature,  will  soon 
overtake  him.  and.  perhaps,  in  a  moment  when  he 
lea^t  expects  it.  Old  men  often  come  to  their  end 
by  accident  and  violence.  Let  us  take  good  heed, 
therefore,  how  we  estimate  the  moral  lessons 
which  are  embraced  in  the  several  degrees.  Our 
emblems,  figm-es.  and  ceremonies  are  replete  with 
the  most  momentous  significations.  The  sym- 
bolical representations  are  full  of  meaning,  a 
meaning  which  is  partly  open  and  partly  concealed 
in  the  depths  of  our  mystic  philosophy.  There 
are  solemn  and  mysterious  intimations  in  every 
sign,  and  word,  and  emblem,  and  device.  Many 
of  our  mysteries  repose  in  parabohc  language; 
like  the  mysteries  of  redemption.  Such  is  the 
remai'kable  correspondence  between  the  principles 
of  masonry  and  Christianity :  and  yet  it  seems 
easily  accounted  for  according  to  our  ^iew.  Ma- 
sonry is  chiefly  founded  upon  the  truths  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  the  correspondence  between 
the  law  and  the  gospel  is  perfect ;  which  affords  a 
most  potent  argument  in  behalf  of  the  Divine 
authority  of  the  Christian  dispensation. 

But,  to  return  to  the  consideration  of  the  ma- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  287 

sonic  allusions  in  that  sublime  passage  selected 
from  Ecclesiastes.  In  the  third  verse  of  the 
chapter,  the  human  body  is  compared  to  a  house. 
There  is  aptitude  in  the  metaphor.  Oh !  how 
solemn  and  sublime  is  the  picture  of  old  age ! 
The  splendid  mansion  of  the  soul  has  become  old. 
It  was  once  the  paragon  of  all  earthly  houses. 
The  human  body  was  once  a  temple  in  which  first 
innocence  resided.  But  evil  drove  away  the  beau- 
tiful tenant,  and  has  ever  since  retained  possession 
of  our  nature.  Nothing  short  of  a  mysterious  law 
can  dispossess  sin  and  restore  innocence  to  its 
original  estate.  But  no  one  should  wait  until  the 
house  is  old  and  seemingly  worthless,  when  it  is 
about  to  fall  all  to  pieces,  to  commence  the  action. 
It  may  be  barred  by  time.  Death  may  interpose 
and  abate  the  suit.  Death  is  always  near  old  age. 
He  haunts  the  house.  There  are  many  strange 
noises  heard  in  and  about  it ;  particularly  at  night, 
when  there  is  no  sleep.  Death  for  a  while  may 
step  about  the  outer  courts,  but  he  soon  enters  the 
inner  chamber,  and  finds  his  way  to  the  place 
where  the  keeper  of  the  house  is.  The  shadow  of 
his  dark  wing  will  cover  the  apartment,  and  there 
will  be  no  light  there.  And  the  soul  of  the  wicked 
shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears  shall 
be  in  the  way.    The  keeper  of  the  house  will  flee 


288  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

away  and  go  in  search  of  a  long  home.  And 
when  the  keeper  is  gone,  the  house  must  needs  be 
neglected  and  tumble  into  ruins.  It  will  fall  down 
,  and  rot.  But  reptiles  only  for  a  while  shall  dwell 
in  it.  How  melancholy  would  those  ruins  be,  if 
there  was  no  assurance  that  the  mansion  would  be 
reconstructed  in  the  latter  day.  "  Blessed  be  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which, 
according  to  his  abundant  mercy,  hath  begotten 
us  again  into  a  lively  hope,  by  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead."  Oh !  may  peace  and 
harmony  dwell  with  us  all  in  old  age !  Let  all 
the  brethren  obtain  wisdom  and  the  Master's  faith- 
fulness. Let  us  put  our  houses  in  order,  for  we 
know  not  when  our  souls  will  be  called  hence. 

"  Gird  up  thy  mind  to  contemplation,  trembling  inhabitant  of  earth; 
Tenant  of  a  hovel  for  a  day — thou  art  heir  of  the  universe  for  ever ! 
For  neither  congealing  of  the  grave,  nor  gulfing  waters  of  the  firmament, 
Nor  expansive  airs  of  heaven,  nor  dissipative  fires  of  Gehenna, 
Nor  rust  of  rest,  nor  wear,  nor  waste,  nor  loss,  nor  chance,  nor  change, 
Shall  avail  to  quench  or  overwhelm  the  spark  of  soul  within  thee ! 
ThoQ  art  an  imperishable  leaf  on  the  evergreen  bay-tree  of  existence  ; 
A  word  from  wisdom's  mouth,  that  cannot  be  unspoken ; 
A  ray  of  Jove's  own  light;  a  drop  in  mercy's  sea; 
A  creature  marvellous  and  fearful,  begotten  by  the  fiat  of  omnipotence. 
I  that  speak  in  weakness,  and  ye  that  hear  in  charity. 
Shall  not  cease  to  live  and  feel,  though  flesh  must  see  corruption ; 
For  the  prison-gates  of  matter  shall  be  broken,  and  the  shackled  soul 
go  free, 

Free  for  good  or  ill,  to  satisfy  its  appetence  for  ever : 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  289 


For  ever — dreadful  doom,  to  be  hurried  on  eternally  to  evil ! 
For  ever — happy  fate,  to  ripen  into  perfectness  for  ever !" 

The  following  verses  in  the  37th  chapter  of 
Ezekiel*  have  been  recommended  to  be  solemnly 
recited  by  the  Master  of  a  lodge  during  the  cere- 
mony of  the  third  degree :  The  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  upon  me,  and  carried  me  out  in  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord,  and  set  me  down  in  the  midst  of  the 
valley  which  was  full  of  bones,  and  caused  me  to 
pass  by  them  round  about :  and,  behold,  there 
were  very  many  in  the  open  valley ;  and  lo,  they 
were  dry.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Son  of  man,  can 
these  bones  live  ?  And  I  answered,  0  Lord  God, 
thou  knowest.  Again  he  said  unto  me,  prophesy 
upon  these  bones,  and  say  unto  them,  0  ye  dry 
bones,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord.  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God  unto  these  bones ;  behold,  I  will  cause 
breath  to  enter  into  you,  and  ye  shall  live  :  And  I 
will  lay  sinews  upon  you,  and  will  bring  up  flesh 


*  The  chief  design  of  Ezekiel's  prophecies  is  to  comfort  his  brethren 
in  captivity,  who  deplored  their  having  too  lightly  credited  the  pro- 
mises of  Jeremiah,  who  had  exhorted  them  speedily  io  submit  to  the 
Chaldees,  on  account  of  the  approaching  ruin  of  Jerusalem.  As  these 
captives  saw  no  appearance  of  the  fulfilment  of  Jeremiah's  predic- 
tions, God  raised  up  Ezekiel  to  confirm  them  in  the  faith,  and  to 
support,  by  new  prophecies,  those  which  Jeremiah  had  long  before 
published,  and  even  then  continued  to  announce  in  Judea. — 2  Horne''& 

Intro,  p.  284. 

37  2B 


\  •   .  ;         '  ;      ■>..  ;' 

290  .  ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

upon  you,  and  cover  you  with  skin,  and  put  breath 
into  you,  and  ye  shall  live ;  and  ye  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord.  So  I  prophesied  as  I  was 
commanded:  and  as  I  prophesied  there  was  a 
noise,  and,  behold  a  shaking,  and  the  bones  came 
together,  bone  to  his  bone.  And  when  I  beheld, 
lo,  the  sinews  and  the  flesh  came  up  upon  them, 
and  the  skin  covered  them  above ;  but  there  was 
no  breath  in  them.  Then  said  he  unto  me,  pro- 
phesy unto  the  wind,  prophesy,  son  of  man,  and 
say  to  the  wind,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God;  come 
from  the  four  winds,  0  breath,  and  breathe  upon 
these  slain,  that  they  may  live.  So  I  prophesied 
as  he  commanded  me,  and  the  breath  came  into 
them,  and  they  lived,  and  stood  upon  their  feet.* 

We  refer  to  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel  chiefly  to 
show  the  opinion  which  brother  Cole  and  others 
entertained  of  the  sublime  doctrines  illustrated  in 
the  Master's  degree.  The  name  of  Ezekiel  imports 
the  strength  of  God. — 2  Homes  Intro,  p.  283.  His 
death  is  nowhere  mentioned  in  the  Bible.  So 
there  are  other  personages  of  whose  death  there  is 
no  account  to  be  found  in  the  Scriptures.  Some 
say  that  the  prophet  w^as  put  to  death  while  he 

*  The  reader  is  referred  to  the  powerful  and  eloquent  discourse  of 
the  Rev.  Henry  Melvill  on  the  prophetic  character  of  this  vision.  - 
1  M&l  Ser.  p.  302. 


NATURAL  AND  EEVEALED  RELIGION.  291 

was  a  captive  in  Babylon.  And  it  was  while  he 
was  a  jorisoner  in  Babylon  that  he  had  the  fore- 
going vision,  which  had  an  immediate  reference  to 
the  dispersion  and  restoration  of  the  Jews. — 
Clarices  Com.  lizek.  xxvii.  The  tribes  of  Israel  are 
scattered  over  the  earth :  they  have  no  particular 
habitation,  no  government  of  their  own,  no 
country,  no  home  which  they  can  call  their  own. 
They  are  scattered,  lost,  and  have  been  for  ages. 
Millions  of  the  race  have  gone  down  to  the  valley 
of  death,  and  their  bones  are  very  dry.  But  those 
bones  shall  live.  All  in  the  grave  and  out  of  it 
shall  have  a  part  in  the  restoration.  And  how 
vast  will  be  the  army  of  the  Israelites,  when  they 
shall  march  to  the  land  of  the  holy  sepulchre ! 
All  the  dry  bones  shall  then  live.  Bone  will 
crawl  to  its  bone ;  sinew  and  flesh  will  come  upon 
them,  and  skin  cover  them  above.*  And  upon 
the  wings  of  the  four  winds  will  be  borne  living 
souls,  to  abide  again  in  their  houses.  Then  how 
exceeding  great  will  be  the  hosts,  which  will  take 
up  their  march  out  of  the  valley  of  death,  to  join 

*  Everywhere  shall  the  process  be  rapidly  carried  on  of  the  bones 
being  combined  into  the  skeleton,  and  covered  with  the  flesh,  and 
animated  by  the  Spirit,  till  the  whole  earth  shall  ring  with  the  tread 
of  "an  exceeding  great  army."  This  will  be  a  perfect  accomplish- 
ment of  the  prophetic  vision. — 1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  312. 


292  ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 

the  ranks  of  the  living  Israel !  They  will  bear  a 
more  noble  standard  than  the  Roman  eagle. 
Behold  the  cross  and  its  blood-staindd  banner 
waving  over  them.  Marvellously  have  they  con- 
fessed Christ  crucified.  On  they  march,  keeping 
time  to  the  music  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.  One 
thought,  one  feeling,  one  hope,  one  faith,  one  great 
heart,  animate  the  vast  assembly.  And  when 
they  shall  move  in  sight  of  their  ancient  home,  and 
catch  the  first  glimpse  of  their  native  hills,  and, 
behold  the  sacred  mountains,  lifting  up  their  hoary 
heads  to  bid  them  welcome,  what  an  universal 
shout  will  go  up  and  echo  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Judea !  It  will  sound  in  the  valleys  and  the 
concave  rocks.  The  will  of  God  has  been  obeyed. 
The  prophecies  are  fulfilled.  His  ancient  and 
chosen  people  have  owned  and  confessed  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Their  city  will  be  rebuilt,  and  rest 
firmly  on  its  triple  hills — the  "metropolis  of  the 
regenerated  earth."*  ' 

But  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  is  taught 
also  in  this  vision  of  Ezekiel.  That  valley  of 
vision  was  strewn  with  the  relics  of  departed 
Israelites.    Those  bones  are  the  whole  house  of 


•  1  Mel.  Ser.  p.  219—307;  D'Oyly  and  Mant's  Com.  on  Ezekiel 
XXX  vii.  9. 


NATURAL  AND  EEVEALED  RELIGION.  298 

Israel.  Before  the  prophetic  eye  of  Ezekiel,  the 
dead  came  up  out  of  their  graves.  The  vision 
was  designed,  first,  as  an  emblem  of  the  wretched 
state  of  the  J ews ;  secondly,  of  the  general  resur- 
rection of  the  body. — Clarke  b  Com.  Ezek.  It  was 
certainly  typical  of  the  latter  event,  when  all  the 
dry  bones  of  humanity  would  come  together  and 
be  reunited.  They  shall  all  live.  They  shall 
hear  the  word  of  the  Lord.  Shall  they  all  live  ? 
0  Lord  God,  thou  knowest.  They  shall  know 
that  Jesus  is  the  Lord  our  Saviour.  They  will 
know  him,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  noise :  their 
spirits  will  know  him,  when  the  bones  are  shaking 
and  coming  together. 

The  hope  of  Israel  is  now  lost,  but  it  will  be 
found  again.  The  word  was  lost  in  the  beginning, 
but  it  will  be  restored.  We  have  all  lost  our  first 
estate,  but  we  may  hereafter  find  it.  The  dis- 
persion of  the  Jews  reminds  us  of  Paradise  lost: 
their  predicted  restoration  bids  us  look  forward  to 
Paradise  regained. 

Three  degrees  or  processes  have  been  remarked 
in  the  mystic  vision.  While  the  prophet  fore- 
told, on  the  authority  of  God,  that  there  should 
be  a  restoration  to  their  own  land,  there  was  first 
a  noise,  which  was  followed  by  a  general  shaking, 
during  which  the  bones  became  arranged.  Second, 

2  B  2 


294 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


the  flesh  and  skin  came  upon  them,  so  that  the 
dry  bones  were  no  longer  seen.  Third,  the  spirit 
or  soul  came  into  them,  and  they  stood  up  per- 
fectly vivified. — Clarke  s  Com.  And  thus  will  we 
all  be  raised,  when  the  Lord  comes  in  his  power 
and  glory.  Suddenly  we  shall  hear  a  noise,  and 
there  will  be  a  gathering  together  of  the  dust  of 
all  centuries,  and  all  the  dead  shall  stand  up  per- 
fectly vivified  before  the  Mighty  Master. 

In  the  third  degree  of  masonry,  we  have 
abundant  reason  to  contemplate  death.  ,  We  must 
all  taste  of  it.  The  blows  of  the  destroyer  will, 
sooner  or  later,  fall  heavy  and  fast,  and  must 
prove  fatal.  And  into  the  grave  we  must  go. 
The  earth  will  be  heaped  in  upon  us.  Dust  will 
be  cast  upon  our  heads.  .  We  shall  sleep  in  the 
dust. — Joh  Vii.  21.  Dust  we  are,  and  unto  dust 
we  shall  return. — Gen.  iii.  19.  Our  earthly  house 
of  this  tabernacle  must  be  dissolved. — 2  Cor.  v.  1. 
Rafter  after  rafter  must  come  down — beam  after 
beam  shall  fall.  The  ^  dust  shall  return  to  the 
earth  as  it  was. — Eccl.  xii.  7.  It  is  appointed 
unto  all  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judg- 
ment.— Heh.  ix.  27.  Let  us  remember  the  words 
of  the  Master's  inimitable  prayer,  selected  from 
Job :  Man  that  is  born  of  a  woman  is  of  few  days 
and  full  of  trouble.    He  cometh  forth  like  a  flower 


NATUHAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION. 


295 


and  is  cut  down:  he  fleeth  also  as  a  shadow,  and 
continueth  not. — Job  xiv.  1,  2.  Confidence  shall 
be  rooted  out  of  our  tabernacle,  and  we  shall  be 
brought  to  the  king  of  terrors. — Job  xviii.  14. 
But  death  is  a  peaceful  messenger,  sent  to  the 
good  man.  Old  Simeon  took  up  the  child  Jesus  in 
his  arms,  blessed  God,  and  said :  Lord,  now  lettest 
thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy 
word:  for  my  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation. — 
Luke  ii.  28 — 30.  The  Lord  will  never  leave  the 
righteous,  nor  forsake  them. — Heb.  xiii.  5.  Jesus 
will  be  their  very  present  help  in  the  trying  hour ; 
for  it  is  written  that  death  shall  then  be  swallowed 
up  in  victory.  And  who  giveth  the  victory? 
Thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. — 1  Cor.  xv.  54 — 57. 

Need  arguments  be  multiplied  ?  What  means 
our  funeral  service?  Why  do  Masons  administer 
such  solemn  rites  at  the  burial  of  a  brother  ?  Why 
are  none  but  Master  Masons  entitled  to  receive 
masonic  burial?*    Our  funeral  ceremony  recog- 


*  No  Mason  can  be  interred  with  the  formalities  of  the  Order, 
unless  it  be  by  his  own  special  request  whilst  living-,  communicated 
to  the  Master  of  the  lodge  of  which  he  died  a  member;  nor  unless  he 
has  been  advanced  to  the  third  degree  of  masonry ;  foreigners, 
sojourners,  and  particular  officers  excepted,  and  those  at  the  discretion 
of  the  Grand  Master.— Rez.  p.  106. 


296 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


nises  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion.  A  Master 
in  good  standing  may  be  interred  with  all  the 
formalities  and  solemnities  of  the  Order.  Before 
any  funeral  obsequies  are  performed,  the  fraternity, 
being  summoned  by  the  order  of  the  Master,  assem- 
ble at  the  lodge  room,  where  the  lodge  is  opened  in 
the  third  degree. — Cross  s  Ch.  p.  80.  The  Master 
begins  the  service  by  saying:  "What  man  is  he 
that  hveth  and  shall  not  see  death  ?  Shall  he 
deliver  his  soul  from  the  hand  of  the  grave?" 
The  brethren  respond :  "  Man  walketh  in  a  vain 
shadow;  he  heapeth  up  riches,  and  cannot  tell 
who  shall  gather  them."  The  service  is  charac- 
terized with  a  unity  of  sentiment  and  feeling. 
"When  he  dieth  he  shall  carry  nothing  away;  his 
glory  shall  not  descend  after  him.  Naked  he 
came  into  the  world,  and  naked  he  must  return. 
The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  taketh  away ;  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Why  are  the  public  grand  honours  given  at  the 
grave?  Let  the  enlightened  Mason  answer. 
With  slow  and  measured  step,  the  fraternity 
proceed  in  a  body  to  the  new-made  tomb.  They 
gather  around  the  narrow  home  of  the  departed 
brother.  The  coffin  is  lowered  silently  to  its  vault. 
A  requiem  is  sung,  while  the  brethren  generally 
march  three  times  around  the  grave.    Each  one 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  297 

deposits  with  the  remains  a  sprig  of  evergreen 
The  Master  deposits  a  lamb  skin,  which  is  an 
emblem  of  innocence.  "How  important,"  con- 
tinues the  service,  "  for  us  to  know  that  our 
Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the 
latter  day  upon  the  earth."  We  are  aware  that 
the  form  of  our  funeral  service  is  a  modern  pro- 
duction, however  ancient  the  rite  of  masonic  burial 
may  be.  But  the  service  proves  the  view  of  Ma- 
sons in  a  Christian  land  in  regard  to  masonic 
truth.  There  is  not  a  denomination  of  Christians 
in  the  world  who  has  not  a  funeral  service,  or  who 
does  not  perform  some  ceremony  on  funeral  occar 
sions. 

Our  mother,  the  church,  hath  never  a  child 

To  honour  before  the  rest. 
But  she  singeth  the  same  for  mighty  kings 

And  the  veriest  babe  on  her  breast ; 
And  the  bishop  goes  down  to  his  narrow  bed, 

As  the  ploughman's  child  is  laid  ; 
And  alike  she  blesseth  the  dark-brown'd  serf 

And  the  chief  in  his  robe  array'd. 

She  sprinkles  the  drops  of  the  bright  new  birth 

The  same,  on  the  low  and  high, 
And  christens  their  bodies  with  dust  to  dust, 

When  earth  with  its  earth  must  lie. 
Oh,  the  poor  man's  friend  is  the  Church  of  Christ, 

From  birth  to  his  funeral  day ; 
She  makes  him  the  Lord's,  in  her  surpliced  arms, 

And  singeth  his  burial  lay. —  Coare's  Christ.  Bal.  p.  84. 

38 


298 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


The  rites  of  sepulture  are  of  ancient  origin. 
Jacobj  before  he  was  gathered  unto  his  people, 
charged  his  sons  about  his  burial :  Bury  me  with 
my  fathers  in  the  cave  that  is  in  the  field  of 
Ephron  the  Hittite:  in  the  cave  that  is  in  the 
field  of  Machpelah,  which  is  before  Mamre,  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  Abraham  bought  with  the 
field  of  Ephron  the  Hittite  for  a  possession  of  a 
burying-place.  There  they  buried  Abraham  and 
Sarah  his  wife ;  there  they  buried  Isaac  and  Re- 
bekah  his  wife;  and  there  I  buried  Leah. — Gen. 
xlix.  29 — 31.  Funeral  processions  were  then  also 
common.  Jacob's  funeral  was  attended  by  a  very 
large  company.  When  Joseph  went  up  to  bury 
his  father,  there  went  up  with  him  the  servants  of 
Pharaoh,  the  elders  of  his  house,  the  elders  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  all  the  house  of  Joseph,  and  his 
father's  house,  and  there  went  also  with  him 
chariots  and  horsemen. — Gen.  1.  7 — 9. 

There  is  not  a  Mason  who  has  investigated  the 
traditions  of  our  Order,  and  reflected  upon  our 
ancient  ceremonies,  who  can  for  a  moment  doubt 
that  our  ancient  craftsnien  observed  funeral  rites 
and  paid  funeral  honours  to  the  dead.  Although 
our  burial  service  is  the  production  of  modern 
times,  still  it  was,  we  believe,  founded  upon  a 
well  authenticated  tradition,  and  in  conformity  to 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  299 

the  ancient  usages  of  our  institution.  In  saying 
that  our  present  funeral  service  is  a  modern  pro- 
duction, it  is  by  no  means  intended  that  the  cere- 
monies at  the  grave — such  as  the  grand  public 
honours,  circumambulating  the  grave,  depositing 
the  sprig  of  evergreen  or  acacia,  the  lamb  skin, 
&c. — are  modern.  The  secret  history  of  the  Order 
proves  these  ceremonies  to  be  ancient,  or  that 
they  were  coeval  with  the  origin  of  free  masonry. 
Brethren  in  all  ages  have  loved  to  meet  at  the 
tomb  of  a  departed  worthy  brother,  and  join  hands 
and  renew  in  silence  the  tokens  of  their  friendship. 
The  present  form  of  service  announces  the  fact, 
that  from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  the  custom 
among  the  fraternity  of  free  and  accepted  Masons, 
when  requested  by  a  brother,  to  accompany  his 
corpse  to  the  place  of  interment,  and  there  to 
deposit  his  remains  with  the  usual  formalities. 
The  lamb  skin,  we  have  shown,  was  an  ancient 
badge  and  emblem;  the  grand  honours,  pubUc  and 
private,  are  certainly  ancient;  and  the  custom  of 
depositing  in  the  grave  a  sprig  of  acacia  had  an 
ancient  emblematical  meaning.  The  acacia  is  the 
name  of  a  plant,  most  of  whose  species  are  ever- 
green. The  acacia  of  free  masonry  was  a  shrub, 
which  grew  in  great  abundance  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Jerusalem,  and  was  used  to  mark  the 


800 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 


place  where  a  dead  body  was  interred. — Mack.  Lex. 
p.  11.  Brother  Mackey  remarks,  that  much  of  the 
masonic  history  of  the  acacia  is  incommunicable ; 
but  he  states,  that  its  evergreen  nature,  united  to 
other  circumstances,  is  intended  to  remind  us  of 
the  immortality  of  the  soul.  Another  learned 
Mason  has  said  that  the  acacia  of  free  masonry 
implies,  "  that  the  sins  and  corruptions  of  the  old 
law,  and  devotees  of  the  Jewish  altar,  had  hid 
religion  from  those  who  sought  her;  and  she  was 
only  to  be  found  where  innocence  survived,  and 
under  the  banner  of  the  Divine  Lamb." 

Our  funeral  ceremony  resembles  very  much  that 
of  the  Jews.  If  a  distinguished  member  of  our 
fraternity  should  die,  an  oration  suitable  to  the 
occasion  should  be  delivered  at  his  grave.  So,  if 
a  person  of  distinction  die  among  the  Jews,  when 
the  funeral  reaches  the  burying-ground,  a  funeral 
eulogy  is  pronounced,  and  the  mourners-  walk 
around  the  grave  and  recite  a  set  form  of  prayer. 
The  dead  body  is  lowered  into  its  resting-place, 
with  the  face  toward  heaven;  and  they  say  unto 
the  departed:  "Go  in  peace."  We  would  say: 
"  Friend  of  our  hearts,  there  rest  in  peace."  The 
Master  of  the  lodge  first  throws  earth  upon  the 
body,  saying:  "Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes, 
dust  to  dust;"  and  after  him  it  is  proper  for  all 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  301 

the  brethren  to  do  likewise.  Among  the  Jews, 
the  nearest  relative  first  casts  earth  on  the  body; 
then  all  present  do  the  same. — Bible  Did.  p.  100. 
The  Jews,  before  they  leave  the  burying-place, 
pluck  bits  of  grass  three  times  and  cast  them 
behind  their  backs,  saying:  "They  shall  flourish 
like  grass  of  the  earth."  Masons  give  at  the  grave 
the  grand  public  honours  three  times ;  and  when 
the  Master  says,  "Almighty  Father,  into  thy  hands 
we  commend  the  soul  of  our  loving  brother,"  the 
brethren  respond  three  times  :  "  The  will  of  God  is 
accomplished.    So  be  it." 

Monuments  were  common  also.  The  most  sim- 
ple tombs  were  hillocks  of  earth,  heaped  up  over 
the  grave.  The  earliest  sepulchres  were  probably 
caverns.  In  order  to  honour  the  memory  of  the 
dead,  their  sepulchres  were  distinguished  by  monu- 
ments.— 2  Homes  Intro,  p.  201.  The  burial  place 
of  a  Master  Mason  is  said  to  be  beneath  the  holy 
of  holies.  And  there  is  a  representation  of  a  most 
interesting  monument  on  our  masonic  charts;  and 
there  is  a  beautiful  inscription,*  which  might  be 
delineated  on  the  tomb  of  a  departed  Master. 


*  In  ancient  times,  inscriptions  appear  to  have  been  placed  on  tomb- 
stones, denoting  the  persons  that  were  there  interred.  Such  was  the 
title  or  inscription  discovered  by  Josiah,  which  proved  to  be  the  burial 

2C 


802 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Sepulchres,  anciently,  were  sometimes  hewn  in 
rocks:  "What  hast  thou  here,  and  whom  hast 
thou  here,  that  thou  hast  hewed  thee  out  a 
sepulchre  here,  as  he  that  heweth  himself  out  a 
sepulchre  on  high,  and  that  graveth  a  habitation 
for  himself  in  a  rock?"  Hezekiah  slept  with  his 
fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  chiefest  of  the 
sepulchres  of  the  sons  of  David. — 2  Chron.  xxxii. 
33.  Jacob  set  a  pillar  upon  Rachel's  grave.* — 
Gen.  XXXV.  20.  Jesus  was  laid  in  Joseph's  own 
new  tomb,  hewn  out  of  a  rock.  Memory  often 
erects  a  monument  to  the  dear  departed.  She 
may  be  compared  to  some  beautiful  virgin  weep- 
ing over  a  broken  column,  with  her  sibylline  book 
open  before  her,  holding  in  her  right  hand  a  sprig 
of  acacia,  and  in  her  left  an  urn,  while  Time  is 
playing  with  her  beautiful  and  flowing  locks ;  and, 


place  of  the  prophet,  who  was  sent  from  Judah  to  denounce  the  Divine 
judgments  ag-ainst  the  altar  which  Jeroboam  had  erected  more  than 
three  centuries  before.  Simon  Maccabaeus  built  a  splendid  monument 
at  Modin,  in  honour  of  his  father  and  his  brethren. — 2  Home's  Intro. 
p.  202. 

*  This  is  the  earliest  monument  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.  It  is 
evident  it  was  standing  when  Moses  wrote;  and  its  site  seems  to  have 
been  known  in  the  time  of  Samuel  and  Saul. — 1  Sam.  x.  2.  The 
monument  now  shown  in  the  vicinity  of  Bethlehem  as  Rachel's  tomb 
is  a  modern  and  Turkish  structure,  which  may,  perhaps,  be  the  true 
place  of  her  interment. — 2  Home's  Intro,  p.  202. 


NATUKAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  303 

as  she  weeps  over  her  untimely  loss,  she  records 
the  virtues  of  the  deceased,  treasures  the  glow- 
ing ashes  in  the  urn,  and  points  aloft  to  immor- 
tality. 


LECTURE  XIII. 


The  plants  of  the  garden,  the  animals  of  the  wood,  the  minerals  of 
the  earth,  and  meteors  of  the  sky,  should  all  concur  to  store  his  mind 
with  inexhaustible  variety ;  for  any  idea  is  useful  for  the  enforcement 
or  decoration  of  moral  and  relig-ious  truth  ;  and  he  who  knows  most 
will  have  most  power  of  diversifying-  his  scenes,  and  of  gratifying  his 
reader  with  remote  allusions  and  unexpected  instruction. — Rasselas. 

There  is  no  kind  of  knowledge,  which,  in  the  hands  of  the  diligent 
and  skilful,  will  not  turn  to  account.  Honey  exudes  from  all  flowers, 
the  bitter  not  excepted  ;  and  the  bee  knows  how  to  extract  it. — 
Bp,  Rome. 

Natural  good  is  so  intimately  connected  with  moral  good,  and 
natural  evil  with  moral  evil,  that  I  am  certain,  as  if  I  heard  a  voice 
from  heaven  proclaim  it,  that  God  is  on  the  side  of  virtue. — Lacon, 

Things  breed  thoughts  ;  therefore,  at  Thebes  and  Heliopolis, 

In  hieroglyphic  sculpture  are  the  priestly  secrets  written. — Tupper. 

Things  teach  with  double  force ;  through  the  animal  eye  and  through 
the  mind. 

And  the  eye  catcheth  in  an  instant  what  the  ear  shall  not  learn  within 
one  hour. — Tupper. 

The  third  section  of  the  Master's  degree  illus- 
trates certain  hieroglyphical  emblems,  and  incul- 
cates many  useful  lessons  to  extend  knowledge 
and  promote  virtue. — Ahi.  Rez.  p.  185.  While 


306 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


design  is  manifested  in  all  our  masonic  work,  it 
possesses  the  highest  credentials,  and  carries  with 
it  the  most  demonstrative  evidence  of  its  beauty 
and  power. 

There  is  the  pot  of  incense,  which  is  an  emblem 
of  a  pure  heart.*  The  incense  which  was  offered 
on  the  altar  of  incense  and  before  the  ark,  was  a 
mixture  of  sweet  spices,  and  was  made  under  the 
particular  direction  of  the  Almighty.  He  com- 
manded Moses  to  take  sweet  spices,  stacte,  onycha, 
and  galbanum,  these  sweet  spices  with  pure  frank- 
incense :  and  thou  shalt  make  it  a  perfume,  a  con- 
fection after  the  art  of  the  apothecary,  tempered 
together,  pure  and  holy. — Ex.  xxx.  34,  35. 
Incense  is  sometimes  used  in  Scripture  asf  a 
symbol  of  prayer. — LuJce  i.  10.  David  sung  :  Let 
my  prayer  be  set  before  thee  as  incense,  and  the 

*  Masonry,  like  Christianity,  instructs  us  that  the  most  pleasing 
incense  that  can  be  offered  to  the  great  I  Am,  is  the  incense  of  a 
grateful  and  pious  heart. — Mack.  Lex.  p.  242. 

\  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  m  his  Heavenly  Arcana,  says,  that  incense 
denotes  three  things  of  worship  which  are  gratefully  perceived,  as 
well  as  spiritual  worship,  which  is  effected  by  confessions,  adorations, 
and  prayers. — Heav.  Area.  n.  9475  and  10298.  The  pot  of  incense  is 
an  emblem  of  a  pure  heart,  which  is  always  an  acceptable  sacrifice  to 
the  Deity ;  and,  as  this  glows  with  fervent  heat,  so  should  our  hearts 
continually  glow  with  gratitude  to  the  great  and  beneficent  Author  of 
our  existence  for  the  manifold  blessings  and  comforts  we  enjoy. — 
Mi.  Rez.  p.  186. 


NATtJRAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  307 

lifting  up  of  my  hands  as  the  evening  sacrifice. — 
Fs.  cxl.  1,  2.  Aaron  burned  sweet  incense  upon 
an  altar  of  shittim  wood  every  morning  and 
evening;  when  he  dressed  the  lamps  in  the 
morning  and  lighted  them  at  even. — Ux,  xxx. 
7,8. 

It  was  an  ancient  Hebrew  custom  for  the  priest 
to  burn  incense  when  he  went  into  the  temple  of 
the  Lord.  Incense  was  offered  morning  and 
evening  by  the  officiating  priest  upon  an  altar  of 
gold ;  but  on  the  great  day  of  expiation,  the  high 
priest  himself  took  fire  from  the  great  altar  in  a 
golden  censer;  and  on  descending  thence,  he  re- 
ceived incense  from  one  of  the  priests,  which  he 
offered  on  the  golden  altar.  During  such  offering, 
the  people  prayed  silently  without;  and  to  this 
most  solemn  silence  St.  John  alludes  in  Revelation, 
when  he  says,  that  there  was  silence  in  heaven 
for  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour.  As  the  smoke 
and  odour  of  this  offering  was  wafted  into  the  holy 
place,  close  by  the  vail  of  which  stood  the  altar  of 
incense,  so  do  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  ascend 
upward  and  find  admission  to  the  highest  heaven. 
— ]  Homes  Intro,  p.  191.  The  prayer  of  faith  is 
always  acceptable  to  the  Deity ;  and  as  the  pot  of 
incense  glows  upon  our  altars  with  fervent  heat, 
so  should  our  hearts  continually  glow  with  grati- 


308 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


tude  to  God.  The  prophet  Malachi  predicted  that 
the  offering  of  incense  should  be  observed  through- 
out all  ages  and  countries  :  From  the  rising  of  the 
sun  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the  same  my 
name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles;  and  in 
every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my 
name,  and  a  pure  offering :  for  my  name  shall  be 
great  among  the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. 
— Mai.  i.  11.  Then,  the  pot  of  incense  is  a  scrip- 
tural emblem,  and  should  ever  remind  us  of  our 
duty  to  offer  every  morning  and  evening  acceptable 
prayer  and  a  pure  offering  unto  the  throne  of  the 
Heavenly  Grace 

The  beehive*  is  also  a  significant  emblem,  and 
inculcates  a  beautiful  moral.  It  is  an  emblem  of 
industry.  Labour  has  been  imposed  upon  all.  We 
must  earn  our  bread  by  the  sweat  of  our  brows. 
It  also  teaches  us  to  be  faithful  and  diligent 
members  of  society ;  the  necessity  and  advantages 
of  regular  government;  and  our  dependence  on 
each  other.  The  bee  is  known  to  be  a  very  busy 
insect.    The  beehive  is  an  elegant  building.  Its 

*  The  beehive  is  an  emblem  of  industry,  and  recommends  the 
practice  of  that  virtue.  It  teaches  us  that,  as  we  came  into  the  world 
rational  and  intelligent  beings,  so  should  we  ever  be  industrious  ones ; 
never  sitting  down  contented,  while  our  fellow-creatures  are  around  us 
in  want,  when  it  is  in  our  power  to  relieve  them  ~-Ahi.  Rez.  p.  186. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  309 

cells  are  all  nicely  and  beautifully  arranged.  A 
swarm  of  bees  may  be  compared  to  a  nation — 
a  fraternity  of  labourers,  working  and  dwelling 
together  in  unity.  Honey,  which  is  the  product 
of  their  labour  and  skill,  is  frequently  mentioned 
in  the  Bible.  We  read  of  a  good  land,  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  The  brethren  of 
Joseph  carried  down  to  him  in  Egypt  a  little  balm 
and  a  little  honey.  John  the  Baptist  lived  in  the 
deserts  on  locusts  and  wild  honey.  Honey  was 
common  food  in  olden  times.  The  judgments  of 
the  Lord,  says  the  Psalmist,  are  sweeter  than 
honey  and  the  honey-comb. — Ps.  xix.  10.  What- 
ever is  sweet  and  medicinal,  is  likened  to  honey. 
My  son,  eat  thou  honey,  because  it  is  good ;  and 
the  honey-comb,  which  is  sweet  to  thy  taste  :  So 
shall  the  knowledge  of  wisdom  be  unto  thy  soul. 
— Prov.  xxiv.  13,  14.  Thy  lips,  0  my  spouse, 
drop  as  the  honey-comb :  honey  and  milk  are 
under  thy  tongue. — jSon^  iv.  11. 

There  is  an  omnipresent  and  All-Seeing  Eye 
which  beholds  our  every  thought  and  deed, 
whether  they  be  good  or  evil.  How  powerful  is 
the  language  of  that  eye !  If  we  would  only  look 
unto  our  gracious  God,  he  would  always  guide  us 
with  his  eye,  which  sparkles  in  every  star  and 
glows  in  every  sun.    His  eye  is  ever  upon  us,  and 


310  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

we  cannot  fly  from  his  presence :  "  If  I  ascend," 
said  the  Psalmist,  "  up  into  heaven,  thou  art  there : 
If  I  make  my  bed  in  hell,  behold,  thou  art  there : 
If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning,  and  dwell  in 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea;  even  there  shall 
thy  hand  lead  me ;  and  thy  right  hand  shall  hold 
me.  If  I  say,  Surely  the  darkness  shall  cover  me : 
even  the  night  shall  be  light  about  me.  Yea,  the 
darkness  hideth  not  from  thee ;  but  the  night 
shineth  as  the  day ;  the  darkness  and  the  light  are 
both  alike  to  thee."  The  universe  was  made  in 
the  presence  of  the  Almighty,  for  he  is  its  Creator. 
He  is  as  near  to  us  now  as  he  was  to  Adam,  the 
first  reasonable  creature  on  earth  of  his  handiwork. 
The  law  was  given  to  Moses  by  a  present  Deity. 
On  Sinai  was  his  throne.  His  lightning  was  there, 
and  his  thunder  also.  And  our  God  is  every- 
where. He  is  with  us  in  our  lodges.  He  sees  all 
our  secret  work.  He  knows  what  we  do,  and  the 
spirit  in  which  we  act.  God  is  a  spirit,  and  we 
can  only  look  upon  him  through  the  eye  of  the 
soul.  God's  providence  is  ever  watchful,  for  his 
eye  is  in  every  place.  Then,  the  All-Seeing  Eye 
is  an  emblem  of  one  of  the  attributes  of  Deity. 
How  boundless  is  his  knowledge :  how  universal 
his  presence!  His  eye  surveys  all  time  and  all 
eternity.    It  searches  the  heart  and  penetrates 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  311 

the  most  secret  places.  It  searcheth  the  reins 
and  the  heart. — Rev.  ii.  23.  Thou  God  seest  me, 
said  Hagar.  God  is  present  when  every  evil 
design  is  conceived,  and  every  good  resolution  is 
formed.  And  in  his  light  we  see  light. —  Ps. 
xxxvi.  9.  The  heaven  is  his  throne,  the  earth 
his  footstool. — Isa.  Ixvi.  1.  Such  is  the  majesty, 
such  the  grandeur  of  the  Almighty,  whose  All- 
Seeing  Eye  is  emblematized  in  our  lodges.  Let 
us  not  forget  that  he  has  said  that  he  would  guide^ 
us  with  his  eye.  May  it  guide  us  all  in  the  way 
of  truth ;  and  may  it  light  up  that  hour  in  which 
we  shall  pass  the  gates  of  death,  carrying  with  us 
all  our  work  for  the  inspection  of  our  Lord  and 
Master.  His  eye  sees  every  sand  in  the  hour- 
glass,* and  every  sweep  of  the  scythe.f  Oh,  he  is 
with  us  always  :  in  life  and  in  death,  in  the  coffin 
and  the  grave.  Had  he  not  made  us  immortal, 
the  sprig  of  evergreen  would  not  have  been  emble- 
matical. He  is  the  glory  of  the  universe,  which  is 
a  great  temple.  He  is  with  the  rising,  southing,  and 
setting  of  the  sun.    He  opens  and  adorns  the  day. 


*  The  hour-glass  is  an  emblem  of  human  life.  Behold !  how 
swiftly  the  sands  run,  and  how  rapidly  our  lives  are  drawing  to  a 
close. — Bradley,  p.  40  ;  Ahi.  Rez,  p.  188. 

f  The  scythe  is  an  emblem  of  time,  which  cuts  the  brittle  thread  of 
life  and  launches  us  into  eternity. — Bradley,  p.  40;  Ahi,  Rez.  p.  188 


312  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

He  is  with  the  sun  in  his  coming.  He  stands 
upon  a  height  which  no  mortal  foot  can  reach, 
the  summit  of  eternal  grandeur,  and  beholds  the 
sun  rise  above  the  mountains  of  the  east.  He 
closes  the  day,  and  is  both  its  beauty  and  glory. 
Christ  is  the  beauty  and  glory  of  his  church.  He 
is  the  beauty  and  glory  of  earth,  for  he  is  our 
Redeemer.  He  is  the  beauty  and  glory  of  heaven, 
for  he  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  to  call 
his  disciples  from  labour  to  refreshment.  And 
there  is  one  in  heaven  who  will  pay  our  wages,  if 
any  be  due.  The  wages  of  sin,  we  know,  is 
death ;  but  the  wages  of  righteousness  is  eternal 
salvation.  All  the  servants  of  the  Lord  will  be  paid 
fair  wages.  But  wo  unto  him  that  buildeth  his 
house  by  unrighteousness  and  his  chambers  by 
wrong. — Jer.  xxii.  13.  The  righteous  shall  always 
have  a  pass  word,  which  will  enable  them  to  travel 
to  that  spiril^land,  where  they  will  ever  increase 
their  wages  in  the-  labour  of  love.  They  will  for 
ever  grow  in  knowledge,  virtue,  and  goodness.  > 

We  have  spoken  of  the  sun.  God  made  it  to 
rule  the  day,  and  the  moon  to  govern  the  night. 
The  sun  has  a  symbolical  meaning  in  Scripture : 
The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness  and  the 
moon  into  blood. — Ads  ii.  20.  Jesus  Christ  is 
spoken  of  under  the  figure  of  the  "  Sun  of  Right- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  313 

eousness."  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream,  and  behold, 
the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  eleven  stars  made 
obeisance  to  him. — Gen.  xxxvii.  9.  The  sun  signi- 
fied his  father,  the  moon  his  mother,  and  the  stars 
his  brethren.  Dr.  Clarke  thought  that  the  stars 
represented  not  only  the  brothers  of  Joseph,  but 
alluded  also  to  the  zodiac — his  eleven  brethren 
answering  to  the  eleven  stars,  and  himself  to  the 
twelfth.  A  good  ruler  over  men,  ruling  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  is  compared  to  the  light  of  the 
morning  without  clouds. — 2  Sam.  xxiii.  4.  A  good 
ruler,  then,  may  he  appropriatelt/  seated  in  the  East. 

Bishop  Horne,  commenting  on  the  fifth  verse  of 
the  19th  Psalm,  says :  In  the  centre  of  the  heavens 
there  is  a  tent  pitched  by  the  Creator  for  the  resi- 
dence of  that  most  glorious  of  inanimate  substances, 
the  solar  light;  from  thence  it  issues  with  the 
beauty  of  a  bridegroom  and  the  vigour  of  a  cham- 
pion, to  run  its  course  and  perform  its  operations. 
And  as  the  material  light  is  always  ready  to  run 
its  heavenly  race,  daily  issuing  forth  with  renewed 
vigour,  like  an  invincible  champion,  still  fresh  to 
labour;  so  likewise  did  he  who  saith  of  himself, 
"I  am  the  light  of  the  world,"  rejoice  to  run  his 
glorious  race.  He  excelled  in  strength,  and  his 
works  were  great  and  marvellous;  he  triumphed 
over  the  powers  of  darkness;  he  shed  abroad  on 

40  2D 


314 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


all  sides  his  bright  beams  upon  the  church;  he 
became  her  deliverer,  her  protector  and  support; 
and  showed  himself  able,  in  every  respect,  to 
accomplish  for  her  the  mighty  task  he  had  under- 
taken. What  a  marvellous  instrument  of  the  Most 
High  is  the  sun  at  his  rising,  considered  in  this 
view ! — Bp.  Home  on  the  Psalms,  p.  203.  We  leave 
the  brethren  to  make  the  application;  for  the  sun 
is  an  emblem  or  symbol  in  our  lodges.  The 
motion  of  the  sun  is  progressive,  and  directed 
from  west  to  east.  The  moon,  with  respect  to  the 
stars,  has  a  progressive  circular  movement  from 
west  to  east.  The  planets  revolve  about  the  sun 
from  ivest  to  east.  The  earth  rotates  from  tvest  to 
east.  So  the  satellites  circulate  from  west  to  east 
around  their  primaries. — Nor.  Astron.  p.  5. 

While  the  Bible  often  speaks  in  figurative  or 
symbolical  language,  we  have  seen  that  there  are 
'many  passages  which  are  susceptible  of  both  a 
literal  and  spiritual  sense.  And  in  what  does 
masonic  work  consist,  in  a  speculative  sense  ?  A 
lodge  may  be  said  to  be  at  labour,  in  the  transac- 
tion of  all  necessary  business,  but  more  particularly 
when  engaged  in  conferring  degrees.  The  terms 
of  operative  masonry  are  symbolically  applied  to 
speculative;  for  as  our  operative  ancestors,  when 
congregated  in  lodges,  were  engaged  in  the  build- 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  315 

ing  of  king  Solomon's  temple  and  many  other 
edifices,  so  free  and  accepted  Masons  are  supposed 
to  be  employed  in  the  erection  of  a  superstructure 
of  virtue  and  morality,  upon  the  foundation  of 
masonic  principles,  which  they  were  taught  at 
their  admission  into  the  Order. — Mack,  Lex.  It 
is  highly  important  to  consider  whether  we  have 
served  our  most  Worshipful  Grand  Master  with 
freedom,  fervency,  and  zeal,  in  our  probationary 
state.  We  must  serve  a  proper  time  in  learning 
and  practising  the  principles  of  truth  and  the 
elements  of  virtue.  To  perform  good  work  and 
true  work,  labourers  in  time  must  be  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  moral  instruments,  and  apply 
them  to  their  natural  and  depraved  condition,  that 
the  works  of  wisdom  may  be  manifested.  It  is  our 
solemn  duty  to  forsake  evil  and  learn  to  do  well; 
leave  off  all  evil  practices,  evil  desires,  and  evil 
passions.  It  is  our  duty  to  go  diligently  to  work 
and  get  out  all  the  unclean  things  within  us.  We 
must  gauge  our  time,  lay  off  our  work,  and  execute 
it  faithfully.  We  must  divest,  if  possible,  our  souls 
from  every  evil  clinging  to  them;  and  throw  sin 
over  our  shoulders^  and  leave  it  in  the  ruhhish  of  time. 
A  great  day  is  coming,  and  evil  wall  be  unfit  for 
that  day.  The  flinty  heart  is  almost  incapable  of 
being  made  ready.    It  may,  perhaps,  be  necessary 


316  ,    ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

to  break  it  into  atoms  and  construct  it  anew, 
before  it  will  receive  a  polish.  We  can  only  learn 
to  do  well  by  ceasing  to  do  evil.  The  mere  prac- 
tice of  rites  and  ceremonies  will  not  do.  Forms 
and  ceremonies  are  all  proper  and  just,  but  the 
soul  must  be  prepared  and  internally  qualified  to 
enjoy  those  rites  and  perform  those  ceremonies. 
The  heart  must  be  engaged  in  them.  Faith  may 
be  cultivated.  It  is  a  good  work.  Hope  and 
charity  are  good  works.  By  walking  in  the  light 
of  the  law  and  the  gospel,  we  will  reach  the  end 
of  our  work;  we  will  be  enabled  to  finish  it,  so 
that,  when  we  die,  our  souls  will  be  raised  to  a 
glorious  fellowship,  the  fellowship  of  saints  and 
angels.  Such  is  masonic  fellowship,  in  its  highest 
signification.  In  the  first  great  light,  we  may 
learn  something  of  this  fellowship — true  fellow- 
ship. God  is  faithful,  and  it  is  through  him  that 
we  are  called  unto  the  fellowship  of  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. — 1  Cor.  i.  9.  And  what  a  glori- 
ous privilege,  what  a  great  mystery,  to  be  raised 
to  a  fellowship  with  our  God  to  mansions  of  light, 
where  we  may  both  see  and  hear  our  sublime 
destiny.  Such  fellowship  implies  a  knowledge  of 
virtue  and  goodness,  mercy  and  truth,  the  will 
and  perfections  of  Deity.  If  we  know  God,  we 
shall  be  at  peace:  Thereby  good  shall  come  unto 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  317 

us.~ Job  xxii.  21.  And  tliis  is  life  eternal,  that 
they  might  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent. — tTohn  xvii.  3. 
Lord,  lift  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon  us. 
That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  which  we 
have  heard,  which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes, 
which  we  have  looked  upon,  and  our  hands  have 
handled,  of  the  Word  of  life;  for  the  life  was 
manifested,  and  we  have  seen  it,  and  bear  witness, 
and  show  unto  you  that  eternal  life,  which  was 
with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. — 
1  John  i.  1 — 3.  Concerning  spiritual  gifts,  then, 
we  should  not  be  ignorant.  The  Evangelist,  our 
patron  Saint,  beheld  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindred, 
and  people,  and  tongues,  which  stood  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white 
robes. — Bev.  vii.  9.  Their  investiture  is  symbolical 
of  innocence  and  purity.  White  is  an  emblematical 
colour,  which  may  be  observed  in  the  masonic 
apron  and  gloves.  King  Solomon  recognised  the 
emblem:*  Let  thy  garments  be  always  white. — - 
Uccl  ix.  8.  St.  John  the  Evangelist  was  acquainted 
with  the  emblem :  Thou  hast  a  few  names  in  Sar- 
dis  which  have  not  defiled  their  garments;  and 

*  The  temple  of  Solomon  was  built  of  white  stone. — Josephua, 
ch.  3,  b.  8,  p.  166. 


818 


ANALOGY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white :  for  they  are 
worthy.  He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be 
clothed  with  white  raiment. — Rev.  iii.  4,  5.  The 
sublimest  of  the  prophets  said:  Though  your  sins 
be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow; 
though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool. — Isa.  i.  18.  White,  then,  is  an  emblem  of 
innocence.  There  were  twelve  innocent  disciples, 
whose  garments  have  been  made  white  with  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb;  and  who,  long  since,  appeared 
before  the  throne  and  testified  that  they  had  no 
part  nor  lot  in  the  death  of  our  Saviour.  All  who 
are  in  heaven  are  arrayed  in  white,  for  they  are 
innocent  of  the  blood  which  was  shed  upon  the 
hill  of  crucifixion. 

But  how  was  he  punished  through  whom  Jesus 
was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies  ? 
There  were  others  who  participated  in  the  unlaw- 
ful act,  but  J udas  Iscariot  was  the  chief  offender. 
If  they  were  guilty,  he  was  thrice  guilty.  He 
hailed  him  as  Master.  He  betrayed  the  innocent 
blood,  and  hanged  himself;  and  his  bowels  gushed 
out  m  the  midst.  Such  was  the  earthly  penalty  of 
his  crime. 

Twelve  is  a  symbolical  number.*    There  were 


*  There  stood  round  about  the  brazen  sea  twelve  oxen  which  looked 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  319 

twelve  tribes.  The  signs  in  the  zodiac  are  twelve. 
There  were  twelve  precious  stones  in  the  breast- 
plate of  the  high  priest.  There  are  twelve  sacred 
mountains.  When  St.  John  the  Divine  was  carried 
away  in  the  Spirit^  he  beheld  the  wall  of  the  hea- 
venly Jerusalem,  and  it  had  twelve  gates,  and  at, 
the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written  thereon 
of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  The 
wall  had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the 
names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb.  And 
here  we  may  perceive  the  consistency  of  masonic 
analogy.  The  apostles  were  messengers,  and  were 
sent  out  in  search  of  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house 
of  Israel.  The  command  was.  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel :  go  north,  go  south, 
go  east,  and  go  west,*  and  bring  them  to  a  know- 
ledge of  the  word;  and,  if  possible,  to  that  Word 
which  was  in  the  beginning:  that  the  nations 
may  be  restored  to  that  which  was  lost,  to  their 
first  estate,  a  true  knowledge  of  God. 


to  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  three  to  each  wind. — Josephus,  b.  viii. 
c.  3,  p.  166.    See  Rev.  vii.  4—8. 

*  The  form  of  the  camp  of  the  Israelites  during-  their  sojourning  in 
the  wilderness  was  quadrangular,  having  three  tribes  placed  on  each 
side.  The/owr  grand  divisions  in  their  encampment  formed  a  square, 
three  tribes  encamped  on  the  north,  three  on  the  south,  three  on  the 
east,  and  three  on  the  west. 


320  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

The  number  fifteen*  is  referred  to  twice  in 
ancient  craft  masonry.  If  it  be  emblematical,  we 
are  left  to  indulge  in  speculation  as  to  its  probable 
meaning.  The  numbers  three,  five,  and  seven  are 
frequently  alluded  to  in  the  three  first  degrees. 
They  are  also  scriptural  numbers.  Add  them 
together,  and  the  sum  will  make  fifteen.  There 
is  a  masonic  propriety  in  setting  apart  or  sub- 
tracting three  from  fifteen.  If  three  be  taken 
from  fifteen,  twelve  remain;  or,  e  converso,  if 
twelve  be  subtracted  from  fifteen,  three  will 
remain.  The  patriarchal  dispensation  was  the 
first  dispensation;  the  Levitical  the  second;  and 
the  Christian  the  third.  There  is  a  fulness  in 
the  latter.  It  was  in  the  development  of  the 
third  degree  of  religious  truth,  that  the  perfect 
Man  was  crucified  or  murdered.  The  knowledge 
of  the  mysteries  of  redemption  resided  originally 
with  the  adorable  Trinity ;  for  the  plan  of  salvation 
was  known  from  the  beginning  only  to  the  God- 
head. The  Son  of  God  came  down  from  heaven 
to  build  his  church  on  earth.  Its  broad  foundar 
tions  covered  his  own  grave,  that  it  might  tower 
with  wisdom,  strength,  and  beauty,  above  the 


*  The  brazen  bases  made  for  the  quadrangular  lavers  were  Jive 
cubits  in  length, /our  in  breadth,  and  six  in  height.  Five,  four,  and 
six  added  together  make  ffteen. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  321 


ruins  of  sin  and  death.  The  Christian  system 
was  not  completed  until  after  the  death  of  Christ ; 
and  it  was  not  until  after  his  death  and  resur- 
rection, that  the  twelve  apostles  were  commissioned 
to  preach  the  gospel  unto  all  nations.  With  the 
twelve  commenced  the  propagation  of  the  gospel 
light  now  shining  in  so  many  lands.  The  mys- 
teries of  ancient  craft  masonry  were  known  only 
to  king  Solomon,  Hiram  king  of  Tyre,  and  Hiram 
the  widow's  son,  if  these  persons  were,  as  we  have 
contended,  the  founders  of  our  Order.  The  mys- 
teries of  masonry  were  planned,  we  think,  before 
the  foundation  of  the  first  temple  was  laid.  They 
were  not  evolved  or  fully  developed  and  made 
known  until  after  the  completion  of  the  building, 
or  about  the  time  of  its  completion.  The  mys- 
teries of  redemption  were  not  fully  illustrated 
until  the  object  of  our  Saviour's  mission  was 
accomplished.  The  Son  of  God,  the  Sovereign 
Builder,  prepared  every  material  for  the  erection 
and  completion  of  his  spiritual  temple,  from  all 
eternity;  and  yet  that  temple  was  not  to  be 
finished  until  after  his  death.  If  our  traditions 
are  to  be  relied  on,  we  must  believe  that  it  was 
not  until  after  the  completion  of  Solomon's  temple, 
that  a  plan  was  adopted  for  the  propagation  of 
masonic  truth.    And  twelve  favoured  craftsmen 


322',  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

were  first  invested  ^with  the  sublime  secrets  of  the 
Order,  and  that  chosen  band  of  brothers  instructed 
the  nations.  These  twelve,  with  the  three  Grand 
Masters,  make  fifteen,  which  number,  anciently, 
denoted  a  new  state.  After  the  crucifixion  of 
Christ,  commenced  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
and  the  glorious  kingdom  of  righteousness.  The 
twelve  craftsmen,  like  the  apostles,  were  humble 
individuals.  If  the  apostles  were  obscure  by  birth 
and  illiterate  by  education,  the  craftsmen  were  no 
less  humble,  for  they  were  elevated  from  among 
the  labourers  to  the  degree  of  Master.  If  the 
former  delivered  the  truths  of  Christianity  in 
simplicity  of  style,  the  latter  taught  the  mysteries 
of  masonry  in  the  same  way.  If  the  former 
preached  Christ  crucified,  "not  with  the  enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  the  demonstration 
of  the  Spirit,"  the  latter  taught  the  principles  of 
our  institution  in  the  spirit  of  truth.  The  twelve 
apostles  were  chosen  witnesses  of  God  to  testify 
to  his  resurrection.  They  were  witnesses  of  all. 
things  which  Christ  did,  both  in  the  land  of  the 
Jews  and  in  Jerusalem;  and  when  he  was  raised 
up  the  third  day,  and  shown  openly,  not  to  all  the 
people,  but  unto  his  chosen  witnesses,  the  apostles 
were  commanded  to  preach  unto  the  people,  and 
to  testify  of  Him  who  was  ordained  by  God  to  be 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  323 

the  judge  of  quick  and  dead. — Acts  x.  39 — 42. 
The  apostles  had  served  their  Master  faithfully. 
They  were  with  him  on  the  sea  and  on  the  land, 
in  the  forests  and  amid  the  multitude.  They  saw 
the  sepulchre  in  which  he  was  buried,  ^'wherein 
was  man  never  yet  laid."  They  beheld  him  dead 
and  after  he  rose  from  the  grave.  .  f 

The  Israelites  commenced  their  journey  from 
Egypt  to  the  promised  land  of  Canaan  on  the 
fifteen  day  of  the  month.  Moses  wrote  their  jour-' 
neyings  by  the  express  commandment  of  heaven. 
And  they  departed,  says  he,  from  Rameses  in  the 
first  month,  in  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  month  : 
On  the  morrow  after  the  passover,  the  children  of 
Israel  went  out  with  a  high  hand  in  the  sight 
of  all  the  Egyptians.— iV^^^.  xxxiii.  3.  On  the 
fifteenth  day  of  the  second  month  they  reached 
the  wilderness  of  Sin,  which  is  between  Eiim  and 
Sinai,"  where  there  was  plenty  of  water  and  shade. 
The  passover  was  instituted  on  the  fourteenth  day 
of  the  first  month  in  the  evening. — xii.  6. 
And  it  was  upon  the  fifteenth  of  the  same  month, 
at  midnight,  the  first-born  of  Egypt  were  all'  slain. 
And  on  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when 
the  passover  of  the  Jews  was  to  be  slain,  in  the 
evening,  Jesus  eat  the  passover  with  his  disciples, 
and  instituted  the  holy  eucharist. — Matt.  xxvi. 


324  AiTALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Mark  xiv.  Luke  xxii.  According  to  Moses,  the 
first  day  of  unleavened  bread  was  the  fifteenth. — 
Ex.  xii.  17.  But  the  first  day  of  unleavened 
bread  is  called  the  fourteenth  in  Matthew,  because 
they  began  to  remove  leavened  bread  from  their 
houses  on  the  fourteenth,  before  the  lamb  was 
killed. — nOyly  and  Manfs  Com.  Matt.  xxvi.  17. 
On  the  same  night  (the  fourteenth)  Christ  was 
betrayed.  The  next  day  he  was  condemned  by 
Pilate  and  crucified.  This  was  the  fifteenth  day 
of  the  month. — Matt,  xxvii.  Well  may  it  be  saidj 
that  with  the  fifteenth  day  of  that  eventful  month 
commenced  a  new  state  of  things.  The  Son  of 
Man  was  crucified  on  that  day;  his  blood  was 
then  shed,  which  was  to  wash  away  the  sins  of 
the  world.  The  flood  prevailed  fifteen  cubits 
above  the  highest  mountains;  and  as  the  waters 
covered  the  whole  earth,  so  shall  the  flood  of 
gospel  light  prevail  over  all  the  nations.  The 
fountains  of  the  great  deep  of  human  thought  and . 
feeling  will  be  broken  up,  and  the  windows  of 
heaven  shall  be  opened,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  will 
descend,  and  righteousness  pervade  the  world. 

Every  event  which  transpired  at  the  building  of 
Solomon's  temple  is  typical  in  masonry.  Every 
thing  about  the  tabernacle  involved  a  mystery. 
We  have  shown  that  tl^e  temple  itself  was  typical. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  325 

The  shekinah  appeared  in  the  holy  of  holies  of  the 
tabernacle*  and  the  temple.  And  why  did  God 
vouchsafe  to  abide  there  for  a  time  ?  Ask  the 
prophets  of  old.  They  answered  the  question 
long  ago,  and  their  response  has  been  transmitted 
from  age  to  age.  That  response  is  contained  in 
the  account  of  the  first  sacrifice  which  consecrated 
Moriah.  The  Jews  heard  it,  in  the  voice  of  Him 
who  spoke  as  never  man  spake;  in  the  agonies  of 
the  garden ;  in  the  groans  of  our  Lord's  expiring 
nature ;  in  the  blood  which  trickled  down  his 
pierced  side;  and  in  the  great  drops  which  fell 
from  his  lofty  brow;  in  the  sound  of  the  hammer 
which  nailed  him  to  the  tree;  in  the  fervent 
prayer  which  ascended  from  his  lips:  "Father, 
forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do;" 
and  in  the  loud  voice  which  cried  out,  "  It  is 
finished."  .      .  , 

St.  Paul  spoke  of  the  mystery  of  the  tabernacle, 


*  If  any  one  do  but  consider,  says  Joseph  us,  the  fabric  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  take  a  view  of  the  garments  of  the  High  Priest,  and 
of  those  vessels  which  we  make  use  of  in  our  sacred  ministrations, 
he  will  find  that  our  legislator  was  a  divine  man,  and  that  we  are 
unjustly  reproached  by  others;  for  if  any  one  do  without  prejudice, 
and  with  judgment,  look  upon  these  things,  he  will  find  that  they 
were  every  one  made  in  way  of  imitation  and  representation  of  the 
universe, — Jewish  Miq.  b.  iii.  ch.  7. 


326 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


and  looked  upon  it  as  a  type  of  the  Messiah.  The 
temple  was  far  superior  to  the  tabernacle;  and  in 
proportion  as  it  surpassed  the  latter  in  splendour, 
so  it  was  a  more  brilliant  type  of  the  church. 
There  were  carved  on  the  walls  of  the  temple, 
within  and  without,  open  flowers.  In  the  taber- 
nacle the  flowers  were  represented  in  the  hud. 
Figuratively,  the  ground  floor  of  the  temple  may 
be  considered  the  earth,  the  inner  chamber  the 
region  9f  the  stars,  and  the  holy  of  holies  the  upper 
sky,  where  God  for  ever  dwells  in  glory.*  On  the 
ground  floor  are  assembled  all  the  Entered  Ap- 
prentices— the  followers  of  the  Lamb — the  disci- 
ples of  Jesus.  They  would  throw  ofl"  the  robes  of 
scarlet,  and  put  on  garments  of  white.  In  their 
present  checkered  scene  of  existence,  they  perceive 
a  mixture  of  light  and  darkness.  In  this  life,  the 
state  of  the  Christian  "is  not  altogether  evil,  nor 
completely  blessed."  He  is  to  be  "brought  out  of 
darkness  into  light."  On  the  ground  floor,  his 
light  is  neither  clear  nor  dark,  but  "it  shall  come 


*  The  Rabbins  usually  divide  the  whole  frame  of  things  into  three 
worlds :  the  first,  the  inferior  or  the  depressed  and  lowest  VA'^orld — that 
IS,  this  world  ;  the  second  is  called  the  middle  or  inmost  world — this 
is  the  world  of  the  spheres,  containing  the  aerial  region  and  the  starry 
heavens ;  the  third  is  the  superior  world — this  is  the  world  of  angels, 
of  God,  of  souls,  the  spiritual  world. — Pear,  on  the  Creed,  p.  75,  note- 


\  ■ 

NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  327 

to  pass,  that  at  eventime  it  shall  be  light."  The 
Entered  Apprentices  should  all  work  together  for 
good,  for  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  forth  as 
the  sun,  when  the  word  sinks  down  into  their  ears 
and  dwells  in  them  richly. 


LECTURE  XIV. 


1 


Despise  not,  shrewd  reckoner,  the  God  of  a  good  man's  worship, 
Neither  let  thy  calculating  folly  gainsay  the  unity  of  three  ; 
Nor  scorn  another's  creed,  although  he  cannot  solve  thy  doubts ; 
Reason  is  the  follower  of  faith,  where  he  may  not  be  precursor: 

Tupper 

Therefore,  it  were  probable  and  just,  even  to  a  man's  weak  thinking, 
To  have  one  for  God  who  always  may  be  learnt,  yet  never  fully  known. 
Throned  in  his  sublimity  beyond  the  grovellings  of  lower  intellect. 
Should  claim  to  be  truer  than  man's  truest,  the  boasted  certainty  of 
numbers. 

Should  baffle  his  arithmetic,  confound  his  demonstrations,  and  paralyze 

the  might  of  his  necessity, 
Standing  supreme  as  the  mystery  of  mysteries,  every  where,  yet 

impersonate. 

Essential  one  in  three,  essential  three  in  one. — Tupper. 

What  Bishop  Horne  says  of  the  Mosaic  types, 
may  be  aptly  applied  to  the  three  degrees  of 
ancient  craft  masonry  :  "  They  are  like  triangular 
prisms,  that  must  be  set  in  a  due  light  and  pos- 
ture, before  they  can  represent  that  great  variety 
of  spiritual  mysteries  contained  in  them."  The 
number  three  is  a  mystic  number,  and  seems  to  be 

42  2e2  329 


830 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


a  favourite  one  in  free  masonry*  It  pervades 
the  whole  body  of  the  institution.  It  may  be , 
traced  in  its  signs,  angles,  steps,  and  words.  It  is 
found  in  our  ritual.  Three  discreet  questions  are 
put  to  the  candidate  for  initiation,  and  each  must 
be  affirmatively  answered  before  he  can  be  received 
into  the  lodge.  The  candidate  is  prepared  for 
admission  in  three  different  ways,  and  yet  those 
ways  of  preparation  are  one.  There  were  three 
ancient  Grand  Masters,  as  we  are  informed  by 
tradition,  namely :  Solomon  king  of  Israel,  Hiram 
king  of  Tyre,  and  Hiram  the  widow's  son.  Every 
lodge  has  three  principal  officers :  a  Master,  a 
senior  and  junior  warden.  No  lodge  can  be  opened 
or  governed  without  these  officers.  They  aid  and 
assist  each  other  in  masonic  work.  No  degree 
can  be  conferred  without  them.  There  are  three 
principal  masonic  stations,  which  may  be  said  to 
represent,  in  one  sense,  the  rising,  southing,  and 
setting  of  the  sun.  There  is  but  one  sun  to  us, 
and  that  sun  which  gains  the  meridian  rises  in 


*  This  number  lias  particularly  attracted  the  attention  of  Dr.  Oliver, 
whose  able  and  philosophic  work,  entitled  the  "  Historical  Landmarks 
of  Free  Masonry,"  I  have  recently  examined.  Without  assuming  too 
much,  it  may  be  proper  to  state,  that  the  substance  of  the  above 
lecture  was  prepared  before  the  "  Historical  I  andmarks  of  Free 
Masonry"  was  issued  from  the  English  press. 


,  NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  331 

the  east  and  sets  in  the  west.  Every  well  go- 
verned or  constitutional  lodge  is  furnished  with- 
the  Holy  Bible,  square,  and  compasses.  We 
recognise  a  God,  Master,  and  the  craft.  There 
are  three  ornaments,  the  Mosaic  pavement,  in-  * 
dented  tessel,  and  blazing  star.  We  have  the 
rough  ashlar,  the  perfect  ashlar,  and  trestle  board. 
Anciently,  lodges  were  dedicated  to  king  Solomon, 
now  to  two  patron  saints.  Masonry  has  three 
social  objects  in  view,  brotherly  love,  relief,  and 
truth.  It  has  adopted  and  enforces  the  practice 
of  the  three  theological  virtues,  faith,  hope,  and 
charity.  Jacob's  ladder  is  represented  as  having 
three  rounds.  The  most  of  the  degrees  have 
three  sections,  which  are  distinct,  and  yet  they 
constitute  portions  of  the  lecture  appertaining  to 
the  particular  degree  to  which  they  belong. 
There  are  three  symbolical  degrees.  Anciently 
there  were  only  three  degrees.  We  use  the 
plumb,  square,  and  level:  the  trowel,  the  gavel, 
and  gauge.  There  are  three  principal  orders  of 
architecture — the  Doric,  Ionic,  and  Corinthian; 
which  are  represented  particularly  by  three  pillars, 
denominated  Wisdom,  Strength,  and  Beauty. 
Three  of  the  cardinal  points  are  well  guarded, 
the  east,  south,  and  west.  On  our  tracing  board 
are  represented  two  hills  and  a  valley.  There, 


832  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

too,  may  be  seen  the  mount,  ladder,  and  clouded 
<}anopy,  and  three  burning  tapers.  There  are 
three  greater  and  three  lesser  lights.  There  is 
the  circle,  with  its  mystic  triangles.  The  two 
pillars  representing  the  pillars  which  were  erected 
at  the  entrance  of  king  Solomon's  temple,  are 
ornamented  with  net  work,  lily  work,  and  pome- 
granates. Unity,  peace,  and  plenty,  are  also  repre- 
sented. The  maul,  spade,  and  coffin,  are  solemn 
emblems.  Geometry,  which  is  one  of  the  sciences 
illustrated  in  the  second  degree,  treats  of  the 
powers  and  properties  of  magnitudes  in  general, 
where  length,  breadth,  and  thickness  are  con- 
sidered, from  a  point  to  a  line,  from  a  line  to  a 
superficies,  and  from  a  superficies  to  a  solid.  And 
a  point  is  an  indivisible  part  of  space ;  a  line  is  a 
continued  point,  namely  length ;  a  superficies  has 
length  and  breadth.  A  solid  is  a  figure  of  three 
dimensions,  namely,  length,  breadth,  and  thick^ 
ness; — AM.  Eez.  p.  176;  see  also  Euc.  Elements, 
If  we  add  up  the  columns  and  pilasters  of  the 
temple,  the  number  three  will  be  the  exact  divisor 
of  the  sum.  So  if  the  number  of  Grand  Masters, 
overseers.  Fellow  Crafts,  and  Apprentices,  which 
wrought  at  the  building,  be  summed  up,  the 
exact  divisor  of  the  whole  number  will  be  three. 
This  mystic  number  is  vailed  in  our  masonic 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  333 


words  and  syllables.  It  is  shrined  in  the  depths 
of  the  ritual.  It  may  be  seen  in  its  angles,  hori- 
zontals, and  perpendiculars.  We  are  reminded  of 
it  when  we  meet  upon  the  level,  act  upon  the 
plumb,  and  part  upon  the  square.  We  may  hear 
it  in  the  raps  of  the  gavel ;  see  it  in  the  signs ; 
feel  it  in  the  grips ;  hear  it  aloud,  and  hear  it  in 
whispers.  It  may  be  observed  by  the  Apprentice 
when  he  first  enters  a  lodge;  it  meets  him  there 
always,  at  prayer  as  well  as  at  work.  It  may  be 
traced  in  every  degree.  It  is  an  essential  number^ 
and  is  to  be  found  in  the  ceremonies  of  the  inner 
chamber,  and  in  the  august  evolutions  of  the  holy 
of  holies.  When  the  hour  of  danger  or  distress, 
penury  or  disease,  comes  upon  any  of  us,  it  will, 
when  masonically  manifested,  bring  the  faithful 
brother  to  our  aid  and  assistance,  and  the  frater- 
nal priest  will  linger  about  our  beds  of  death,  and 
pray  for  the  admission  of  our  souls  into  the 
celestial  lodge.  And  this  mystic  number  or  em- 
blem is  displayed  around  the  opened  grave,  in  the 
funeral  signs  and  ceremonies.  The  grand  honours 
are  given  three  times  at  the  burial  of  a  brother : 
when  his  departed  soul  is  commended  to  God,  the 
brethren  repeat  three  times  the  following  words  r 
"  The  will  of  God  is  accomplished — So  he  itr  Observe 
the  number  of  invocations,  and  their  structure. 


\ 


334 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


The  Master  standing  at  the  head  of  the  grave^ 
says :  "  Mai/  we  he  true  and  faithful ;  and  may  we 
live  and  die  in  love''  The  brethren  respond :  "  So 
mote  it  her  Again,  the  Master  says:  ''May  we 
profess  what  is  good,  and  may  we  always  act  agreeahly 
to  our  profession^  The  response  is  heard :  "  So 
mote  it  her  And  again  the  Master  says :  "  May 
the  Lord  Uess  us  and  prosper  us,  and  may  all  our 
good  intentions  he  crowned  with  success^  Then  the 
answer  is  heard :  "  So  mote  it  he!'  A  pause 
succeeds,  and  then  the  rolls  are  thrown  into  the 
grave  with  the  usual  forms,  while  the  chaplain 
repeats  in  an  audible  voic6 :  "  Glory  he  to  God  on 
high,  on  earth  peace  and  good  will  toward  menT 
The  response  is  made:  "So  mote  it  he,  now,  from 
henceforth  and  for  evermorer  The  Master,  while 
performing  the  rest  of  the  ceremonies,  throws  into 
the  grave  first  a  lamb  skin,  then  a  sprig  of  ever- 
green, and  lastly  a  few  clods,  pronouncing  these 
solemn  words :  "  Earth  to  earth — ashes  to  ashes 
— dust  to  dust;"  ^ 

We  know  of  a  lodge  of  the  holy  Saints  John  at 
Jerusalem,  by  which  we  learn  its  existence,  the 
persons  to  whom  dedicated,  and  its  location. 
Everyone  deemed  worthy  to  know  its  mysteries 
is  entitled  to  its  rites,  lights,  and  benefits.  Not 
only  is  the  number  three  to  be  discovered  in  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  335 

structure  of  the  masonic  ritual,  but  it  is  manifested 
in  all  our  ceremonies.  And  is  there  no  mark  of 
design  in  this?  We  cannot  suppose  that  such 
frequent  references  to  this  number  are  merely 
accidental.  Such  an  hypothesis  would  be  repug- 
nant to  reason  and  experience.  It  has  a  significant 
meaning,  and  is  intended  to  illustrate  some  truth. 
Many  believe  that  it  refers  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
adorable  Trinity.*  Many  enlightened  craftsmen 
have  stated  that  it  is  not  only  an  emblem  of  the 
Trinity,  but  that  it  is  so  explained  in  our  lectures. 
If  this  ^statement  be  true,  then  there  would  be  no 
room  for  speculation.  We  doubt,  however,  whe- 
ther masonry  affords  any  such  explanation;  for 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is  one  of  those  great 
mysteries  which  can  never  be  comprehended,  and 
is  so  intimately  associated  with  the  incommuni- 
cable name  of  Jehovah,  that  our  ancient  brethren 
would  hardly  have  done  more  than  to  teach  it 
emblematicall}^,  or  evolve  it  in  their  ceremonies. 


*  It  is  said  that  the  Trinity  in  unity ;  the  incarnation  of  the  Deity ; 
a  vicarious  atonement  for  sin ;  and  the  influence  of  the  Divine  Spirit 
on  the  mind  of  man,  are  held  by  the  eastern  nations,  though  in  gross 
ignorance  respecting  the  only  living  and  true  God.  Bramah  is  the 
one  God  of  the  Hindoos,  and  yet  they  represent  him  as  subsisting  in 
three  persons.  Their  most  ancient  representation  of  the  Deity  is 
formed  of  one  body  and  three  faces. — Burnet  on  39tk  Art. 


336 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


If  our  supposition  be  correct,  that  the  masonic 
lectures  do  not  clearly  explain  the  emblem,  or 
contain  any  direct  reference  to  its  hidden  meaning, 
it  would  seem  to  fortify  the  opinion  that  it  referred 
to  something  connected  with  the  incommunicable 
name  of  Deity.  We  are  not  disposed  to  engraft 
any  thing  into  the  regular  body  of  masonry,  but 
greatly  desire  to  see  the  landmarks  remain  pure 
and  unaltered.  "We  would  not  add  a  stone  to  the 
edifice,  or  take  one  from  it.  It  would  mar  the 
beauty  of  the  building.  But  we  claim  it  as  our 
right  and  privilege  to  express  an  opinion  as  to  the 
probable  meaning  of  any  of  the  masonic  emblems, 
when  they  are  not  explained  in  our  lectures  so  as 
to  exclude  all  comment.  The  opinions  of  the  fra- 
ternity cannot  affect  the  landmarks,  any  more  than 
the  expositions  of  theologians  can  change  the  text 
of  the  Bible,  which  is  immutable. 

The  number  three,  as  a  masonic  emblem,  is  co- 
eval with  the  erection  of  the  first  temple.  There 
were  three  eminent  persons  associated  in  that  great 
work.  There  were  three  principal  apartments  in 
that  edifice.  Its  stones  were  hewed,  marked,  and 
numbered.  They  were  conveyed  by  floats  to  Jop- 
pa,  and  thence  to  Jerusalem.  It  is  said  that  the 
sacred  mountain  of  Moriah  was  circumambulated 
three  times  before  the  foundation  of  the  temple 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  337 

was  laid.  The  temple  of  Solomon/'  said  brother 
Davies  of  Shrewsbury,  "has  three  foundations;  the 
first  of  which  contained  seventy  stones,  five  rows 
from  north  to  south,  and  fourteen  in  each  row 
running  from  east  to  west.  The  centre  row  corre- 
sponded with  the  upright  of  a  cross,  whose  trans- 
verse was  formed  by  two  stones  on  each  side  of 
the  eleventh  stone,  from  the  east  end  of  the  centre 
row  of  which  the  upright  is  formed,  and  the  fourth 
stone  from  the  west  end  of  it.  This  stone,  which 
hence  occupied  the  place  of  the  crossing  of  the 
beams,  was  under  the  centre  of  the  sanctum  sanc- 
torum," where  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  situated 
and  the  Divine  Presence  was  manifested.  He  con- 
tended that  the  design  contained  an  evident  refer- 
ence to  the  cross  of  Christ ;  and  that  this  cross  was 
so  placed,  that  the  part  where  the  heart  of  Christ 
would  be  at  the  time  of  his  crucifixion  was  under 
the  centre  of  the  holy  of  holies. — 2  01.  Land.  263,  n. 

Cedar,  olive,*  and  fir  were  the  only  kinds  of 
wood  used  in  constructing  Solomon's  temple.  We 
are  informed  by  tradition  that  it  was  the  custom 


*  I  have  visited,  says  Lamartine,  every  country  of  the  globe  where 
olive  trees  grow.  They  live  for  ages.  I  have  seen,  on  the  summit 
of  Mount  Lebanon,  the  cedars  said  to  have  been  Solomon's ;  this  is 
by  no  means  impossible.  Nature  has  given  to  certain  of  its  vegetaMe. 
productions  more  duration  than  to  empires. — 1  Lam.  Pil.  p.  304. 

43-  2F 


338  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

of  Hiram  the  builder  to  pray  three  times  every 
day — to  pray  at  the  rising,  southing,  and  setting, 
of  the  sun.  Such  was  the  practice  of  king  David, 
Daniel,  and  others.  We  read  of  three  pieces  of 
typical  furniture  in  the  holy  place:  the  golden 
candlestick,  the  table  of  shew-bread,  and  the  golden 
altar.  The  inner  court  of  Solomon's  temple  "was 
built  with  three  rows  of  hewed  stone,  and  a  row 
of  cedar  beams."  Adam  Clarke  significantly  in- 
quires: "Does  not  this  passage  intimate  that  there 
were  three  courses  of  stone  and  then  one  course  of 
timber  all  through  the  wall?  Three  strata  of 
stone,  and  one  stratum  of  timber,  and  so  on." 
Calmet  thinks,  that  to  this  mode  of  building  the 
prophet  alludes,  v/hen  he  says :  "  The  stone  shall 
cry  out  of  the  wall,  and  the  beams  out  of  the 
timber  shall  answer  it." 

In  the  world  of  nature,  this  emblem  of  the 
Almighty  is  also  visible.  There  are  three  king- 
doms, the  animal,  vegetable,  and  niineral.  It  is 
supposed  there  are  three  imponderable  fluids  :  gal- 
vanism, magnetism,  and  electricity-  The  air  we 
breathe  is  composed  of  three  elements :  nitrogen, 
oxygen,  and  hydrogen.  And  they  are  all  essential 
to  life.  If  any  one  of  them  be  taken  away,  death 
must  ensue..  Nature  has  her  triple  associations. 
The  thunder  and  lightning  dwell  among  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  339 

clouds.  We  have  rain,  hail,  and  snow.  The 
snows  of  the  polar  regions  are  full  of  treasures. 
Many  of  their  configurations  are  triangular.  In 
one  of  the  plates  of  Sears's  Bible  Illustrations,  repre- 
senting the  snow-crystals  of  the  arctic  regions,  may 
be  seen  figures  of  the  double  equilateral  triangle. 
Captain  Scoresby  says,  that  "  some  of  the  general 
varieties  in  the  figures  of  the  crystals  may  be 
referred  to  the  temperature  of  the  air;  but  the 
particular  and  endless  modification  of  similar 
classes  of  crystals,  can  only  be  referred  to  the 
will  and  pleasure  of  the  First  Great  Cause,  whose 
works,  even  the  most  minute  and  evanescent,  and 
in  regions  the  most  remote  from  human  observa- 
tion, are  altogether  admirable." 

It  has  been  calculated  that  in  the  space  of  one 
hour,  which  is  sixty  minutes,  the  human  heart 
beats  thirty-six  hundred  times,  and  discharges 
seventy-two  hundred  ounces  of  blood;  and  in 
twenty-four  hours  the  blood  circulates  through 
the  body  six  hundred  times.*  There  is  a  present,, 
past,  and  future  time.  There  are  three  brains,  or 
three  departments  of  the  brain  in  the  human  skull. 


*60 
3 
SO 
60 


20. 


3600 
3 

1200 
3600 


1200. 


7200 
3 

2400 
7200 


2400. 


24 
~3 
_8 

24 


=  8. 


840 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


There  are  three  different  kinds  of  time  employed 
by  astronomers  in  their  calculations :  sidereal,  ap- 
parent or  true  solar,  and  mean  solar  time.  An 
eclipse  of  a  heavenly  body  is  occasioned  by  the 
interposition  of  some  opake  body  between  it  and 
the  eye,  or  between  it  and  the  sun.  For  instancy, 
an  eclipse  of  the  moon  is  occasioned  by  an  inter- 
position of  the  body  of  the  earth  between  the  sun 
and  moon.  With  respect  to  the  objects  eclipsed, 
there  are  only  three  kinds  of  eclipses,  namely :  of 
the  sun,  of  the  moon,  and  of  the  satellites.  The 
motions  of  the  planets  are  regulated,  or  are  in  con- 
formity to  the  three  laws  discovered  by  Kepler. — - 
See  Nor.  Astron.  p.  78. 

r 

Matter,  and  breath,  and  instinct,  unite  in  all  the  beasts  of  the  field  ; 
Substance,  coherence,  and  weight,  fashion  the  fabrics  of  the  earth ; 
The  will,  the  doing,  and  the  deed,  combine  to  frame  a  fact; 
The  stem,  the  leaf,  and  flower;  beginning,  middle,  and  end; 
Cause,  circumstance,  and  consequent ;  and  every  three  is  one. 
Yea,  the  very  breath  of  man's  life  consisteth  of  a  trinity  of  vapours, 
And  the  noonday  light  is  a  compound,  the  triune  shadow  of  Jehovah.* 

Tup.  Prov.  Phil.  p.  87. 

Then,  our  mystic  number  finds  an  analogy  in 


*  The  rainbow,  which  is  light  analyzed,  is  but  three  colours,  blue, 
yellow,  and  red,  with  their  intermediate  shades.  I  thfnk  no  one  of 
these  can  be  mixed  or  made  of  others,  and  in  their  union  they  prodm  e 
colourless  light. — Tupper''s  Notes,  p.  158. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  341 


nature.*  It  is  also  found  in  the  Bible.  In  the 
Old  Testament  the  attention  is  not  particularly 
called  to  it.  The  reference  to  it  is  not  open,  nor 
was  it  designed  to  be  open.  Nor  was  it  so  designed 
in  masonry.  There  were  three  angels  who  appeared 
to  Abraham  in  the  plains  of  Mamre.  On  the  third 
day's  journey,  he  came  in  sight  of  Moriah,  where 
he  was  to  build  an  altar  and  offer  his  sacrifice. 
Moses,  on  Mount  Sinai,  beheld  a  cloud,  and  about 
it  fire,  and  above  the  fire  a  Great  Being.  The  ten 
commandments  were  delivered  from  the  top  of  a 
mountain,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people,  and 
with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.  The  goodly  child 
Moses  was  hid  for  three  months. — Ex.  ii.  2.  There 
are  three  different  tabernacles  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament  previously  to  the  erection  of  Solo- 
mon's temple;  namely,  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation; then  the  one  erected  by  Moses  for 
Jehovah;  and  lastly,  the  one  erected  by  David 
in  his  own  city,  for  the  reception  of  the  ark. — 
2  Homes  Intro,  p.  96.     If  Pharaoh  would  not 


*  Milton,  in  his  Paradise  Lost,  describes  the  gates  of  hell  in  the 
following  manner : 

Three  folds  were  brass, 

Three  iron,  three  of  adamantine  rock 

Impenetrable,  impaled  with  circling  fire, 

Yet  unconsumed.  -  • 

2f2 


342 


AI^ALOaY  OP  MASONRY  TO 


believe  in  two  signs,  the  Almighty  directed  that 
he  should  be  spoken  to  in  the  voice  of  the  third 
sign. — Ex.  iv.  Three  often  signifies,  in  the  Bible, 
greatness,  excellence,  and  perfection. — 2  Homes 
Intro.  Gen.  Index.  We  read  in  Isaiah :  "  In  that 
day  shall  Israel  be  the  third  with  Egypt  and 
Assyria."  Have  I  not  written  unto  thee  three 
things  ?  said  Solomon.  A  sentiment  thrice  uttered 
implied  earnestness  and  excellence.  0  earth,  earth, 
earth,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord. — Jer.  xxii.  29. 
Jonah  was  three  days  and  nights  in  the  fish's 
belly.  Elijah,  before  he  offered  up  his  prayer  to 
Jehovah  on  Mount  Carmel,  poured  water  in  abun- 
dance three  times  over  the  sacrifice.  In  the  Mount 
of  God,  which  is  Horeb,  before  the  Shekinah  was 
manifested  to  him,  a  mighty  wind  rent  the  moun- 
tains, then  came  an  earthquake,  and  after  that  a 
fire.  Moses  requested  of  Pharaoh  to  go  three 
days'  journey  into  the  desert,  and  sacrifice  unto 
the  Lord.— ^2:.  v.  3.  When  they  departed  from 
the  Mount  of  the  Lord  three  days'  journey,  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  went  before  them  in  the  three 
days'  journey. — Num.  x.  33.  The  Lord  said  unto 
Moses:  Go  unto  the  people  to-day  and  to-morrow, 
and  let  them  wash  their  clothes,  and  be  ready 
against  the  third  day :  for  the  third  day  the  Lord 
will  come  down  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people  upon 


-   NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  343 

Mount  Sinai. — Ex.  xix.  10, 11.  Dr.  Lightfoot  says, 
that,  anciently  among  the  Jews,  the  Old  Testament 
was  divided  into  three  parts.  The  first,  beginning 
with  the  law,  was  called  the  Law;  the  second, 
beginning  with  the  Psalms,  was  called  the  Psalms ; 
the  third,  beginning  with  the  prophecy  of  Jere- 
miah, which  anciently  stood  first,  was  called  Jere- 
miah, under  which  name  all  the  quotations  from 
the  prophets  were  made.*  —  Green.  Test,  of  the 
Evan.  p.  476. 

How  emphatic  did  Christ  speak,  when  he  told 


*  There  are  many  symbolical  words  in  the  Bible,  and  frequently 
applied  in  three  different  ways ;  as,  for  example — 
-    Day  means,  1.  A  year  in  prophetical  language.    2.  An  appointed 
time  or  season.    3.  A  state  of  truth,  hope,  and  knowledge. 

Dragon.  1.  A  symbol  of  a  king  that  is  an  enemy.  2.  Satan  acting 
and  ruling  by  his  visible  ministers.    3.  Any  hurtful  thing. 

Eagle.  1.  A  king  or  kingdom.  2.  The  Roman  army,  whose 
ensigns  or  standards  were  eagles.    3.  Emblem  of  renewed  strength. 

Eyes — as  applied  to  God.  1.  His  knowledge  and  prescience.  2. 
His  watchful  providence.    3.  Omnipresence  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Flesh.  1.  Riches.  2.  Mortal  marl.  3.  Human  virtues  or  religious 
privileges. 

Head.  1.  The  understanding.  2.  Chief  of  a  people.  3.  Metro- 
polis of  a  country. 

Horn.    1.  Strength.    2.  Divine  protection.    3.  Royal  power. 

Keys.  1.  Power  or  authority.  2.  Commission  of  the  gospel  mi- 
nistry.   3.  Means  of  scriptural  knowledge. 

Star.  1.  A  prince  or  ruler.  2.  Eminent  pastors  of  churches 
3.  Apostolical  teachers. — See  Home's  Index  of  Sym.  Lan.  of  the  Bible, 


344  ANALOaY  OE  MASONRY  TO 

Peter  that  he  would  deny  him  thrice:  "Yerily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  before  the  cock  crow  thou 
shalt  deny  me  thrice."  Our  Saviour,  in  describing 
his  church,  clothes  her  with  the  sun,  puts  the 
moon  under  her  feet,  and  on  her  head  a  crown  of 
stars.  St.  John  repeatedly  refers  to  the  number 
three,  in  Kevelation.  He  tells  us,  that  when  the 
first  angel  sounded  his  trumpet,  there  followed 
hail  and  fire,  mingled  with  blood,  and  a  third  part 
of  the  trees  were  burnt  up ;  when  the  second 
angel  sounded,  a  third  part  of  the  sun  became 
blood,  and  a  third  part  of  the  creatures  in  the  sea 
that  had  life  died,  and  a  third  part  of  the  ships 
were  destroyed;  and  when  the  third  angel  sounded, 
a  great  star  from  heaven  fell  upon  a  third  part  of 
the  rivers,  and  a  third  part  of  the  waters  became 
wormwood ;  and  then  a  third  part  of  the  sun  was^ 
smitten,  and  a  third  part  of  the  stars ;  the  day 
shone  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  likewise. 
And  the  Evangelist  beheld  an  angel  flying  through 
the  midst  of  heaven,  saying,  with  a  loud  voice : 
Wo !  wo !  wo !  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 
Three  times  did  J esus  inquire :  "  Simon,  son  of 
Jonas,  lovest  thou  me  ?"  Three  favoured  persons 
beheld  the  transfiguration :  Peter,  J ames,  and  John. 
There  appeared  unto  them^  Elias  and  Moses  talk- 
ing with  Jesus;  and  Peter  answered  and  said, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  345 

Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here :  and  let  us 
make  three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for 
Moses,  and  one  for  Elias.  Christ  raised  the  dea.d 
only  three  times.  Three  persons  hung  upon  the 
cross  of  Calvary.  The  accusation  against  Jesus 
was  written  above  his  head  in  three  different  lan- 
guages. And  Pilate  wrote  a  title,  and  put  it  on  the 
cross.  And  the  writing  was,  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
the  King  of  the  Jews.  This  title  then  read  many 
of  the  Jews  :  for  the  place  where  J esus  was  cruci- 
fied was  nigh  to  the  city :  and  it  was  written  in 
Hebrew,  and  Greek,  and  Latin. — St.  John  xix.  19, 
20.  While  he  hung  upon  the  tree,  they  bade  him 
come  down,  saying :  "  Thou  that  destroyest  and 
buildest  the  temple  in  three  days."  When  he 
gave  up  the  ghost  and  died,  nature  clad  herself  in 
mourning  and  wept  for  three  hours.  It  was  com- 
manded that  the  sepulchre  should  be  made  sure 
for  three  days.  He  was  in  the  grave  three  days. 
He  rose  on  the  third  day.  Our  Lord  crucified, 
dead,  and  buried,  said  Peter,  James,  and  John. 
The  Saviour  is  our  prophet,  priest,  and  king. 
When  the  risen  Lord  appeared  unto  Mary  Magda- 
lene, she  cried  out  Rahhoni.  Stephen,  Paul,  and 
John  saw  Jesus  in  his  ascended  state.  The  king- 
dom of  God  is  righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in 
the  Holy  Ghost.    "Woman!  why  weepest  thou?" 

44 


346 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


was  the  language  of  two  angels,  and  of  Josus  to 
Mary.  Those  about  the  throne  rest  not  dctj  nor 
night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty, that  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come."^  There 
are  three  in  heaven  who  wear  the  human  form. 


*  Nine,  being  the  square  of  three,  is  called  a  perfect  ternary.-. 
2  01.  Land.  p.  220.  The  figure  nine  is  a  mystic  figure  in  masonry 
However  many  nines  may  be  added  together,  or  by  whatever  number 
or  numbers  it  may  be  multiplied,  the  line  of  figures  for  the  sum  or 
product  may  be  added  together,  and  it  will  consist  of  one  or  more 
nines.  For  instance,  twice  9  are  18 — the  1  and  8  are  9 ;  4  times  9 
are  36,  and  3  and  6  are  9.  A  learner  finds  some  amusement  in 
•increasing  the  amount,  as  if  he  expected  that  some  variation  might  be 
found  ;  but  when  he  gets  to  1 1  times  9,  he  finds  the  product  is  onfy 
99 — two  nines.  And  at  the  next  step  higher,  viz.  12  times  9,  he 
obtains  only  108,  or  one  9.  Then  he  may  be  shown  the  fact  that  nine 
digits,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  amount  to  a  large  number  of  nines; 
namely,  5  nines  are  45 ;  and  he  may  be  taught  that  if,  instead  of 
adding  a  line  up,  he  will  multiply  the  middle  figure  by  the  last  figure, 
namely,  5  times  9,  he  will  find  the  value  of  the  whole  most  readily; 
and  this  upon  a  principle  of  taking  averages,  to  which  he  will  have 
occasion  to  resort  in  higher  departments  of  the  science.  He  may 
then  be  directed  to  notice  the  effect  of  adding  together  two  lines 
formed  of  the  nine  digits,  but  in  reversed  order.    For  instapcet, 

12  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 
987654321 

•       .    ^  I  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  0 

There  is  something  striking  to  the  eye  in  such  a  product,  for  the 
wonderful  number  recurs  in  nine  ones ;  and  it  may  serve  to  induce 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  347 


There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  earth,  and 
three  that  bear  record  in  heaven.    And  the  very 


thinking'.  Or,  let  the  one  line  be  subtracted  from  the  other,  in  this 
way  : 

987654321 
123456789 


86419753  2 


In  this  result  the  odd  and  even  numbers  become  curiously  arranged ; 
the  whole  of  the  nine  digits  are  there,  as  in  the  upper  line;  there  is 
no  surplus  or  repetition  ;  there  is  only  one  figure  of  a  kind  ;  of  course 
they  amount  to  five  nines.  Would  the  pupil  wish  to  see  a  sum  in 
multiplication,  the  product  of  which  shall  contain  several  figures  alike] 
Tell  him  to  set  down  all  the  digits  except  8,  and  if  he  would  like  the 
product  to  be  all  ones,  let  the  line  be  multiplied  by  one  nine,  thus : 

12  3  4  5  6  7  9 
9 


1  1  1  1  1  I  1  1  1 


And  here  again  is  the  faithful  number,  for  the  product  presents  nine 
ones.  If  the  product  of  twos  would  please  him,  let  him  multiply  the 
line  with  two  nines  or  18,  and  so  on  with  27,  36,  &c.,  until,  by  mul- 
tiplying by  9  or  81,  he  will  have  a  product  of  all  nines,  and  nine  of 
them  : 

12345679  12345679  12345679  . 

18  45  81 


98765432 
12345679 

222222222 


61728395 
49382716 

555555555 


12345679 
98765432 

999999999 


The  pupil  may  try  the  intermediate  numbers  to  produce  threes, 
fours,  sixes,  sevens,  and  eights.    There  will  be  found  nine  of  each, 


848 


ANALOaY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


first  word  of  power  in  tlie  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 
which  is  God,  implies  plurality.  The  Hebrew 
word  Elohim  is  a  plural  noun.  Huramen  corre- 
sponds with  the  Latin  word  inveni,  which  corre- 
spond with  eureka,  which  signifies  I  have  found 
it.  Simon  Ben  Joachi  says:  "Come  and  see  the, 
mystery  of  the  word  Elohim:  there  are  three 
degrees,  and  each  degree  is  by  itself  alone,  and 
yet  they  are  all  one,  and  joined  together  in  one, 
and  are  not  divided  from  each  other." 

The  same  facts  are  often  detailed  by  three  of 
the  gospel  witnesses,  and  each  of  the  three  uses 
different  language  in  their  narration,  but  their 
language  is  substantially  the  same.  For  example, 
Matthew  states :  And  behold,  there  came  a  leper 
and  worshipped  him,  saying.  Lord,  if  thou  wilt. 


and  the  figures  of  each  product  added  together  will  be  of  equal  value  to 
each  respective  multiplier.  If  the  figure  9  be  multiplied  eight  places 
in  a  line  by  two  and  the  other  digits,  up  to  nine  inclusive,  the  w^hole 
line  of  results  v^^ill  be  ranged  alike,  from  left  to  right,  and  from  right 
to  left ;  that  is,  from  a  to  a,  reading  the  figures  in  either  direction, 
thus : 


9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

9 

•2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

a  18 

27 

36 

45 

54 

63 

72 

81a 

And  the  first  figure  in  each  couple,  for  either  end,  is  in  simple  rota- 
tion from  one  to  eight. — Rossh  Mental  Calculator. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  849 

thou  canst  make  me  clean. — Matt.  Viii.  2.  Mark 
says:  And  there  came  a  leper  to  him,  beseeching 
him,  and  kneehng  down  to  him,  and  saying  unto 
him,  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean. — - 
Mark  i.  40.  In  Luke  the  fact  is  thus  related: 
And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  was  in  a  certain 
city,  behold  a  man  full  of  leprosy:  who  seeing 
Jesus  fell  on  his  face,  and  besought  him,  saying, 
Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  olefin.— 
LuJce  V.  12.  Many  similar  examples  might  be 
cited.  We  will  only  refer  to  one  more:  Now 
from  the  sixth  hour  there  was  darkness  over  all 
the  land  until  the  ninth  hour. — Matt,  xxvii.  45. 
And  when  the  sixth  hour  was  come,  there  was 
darkness  over  the  whole  land  until  the  ninth  hour. 
— Mark  xv.  33.  And  it  was  abou^  the  sixth 
hour,  and  there  was  darkness  over  all  the  earth 
until  the  ninth  howc—Luke  xxiii.  44. 

Are  not  these  things  "  marvellous  in  our  eyes"  ? 
Such  is  "  the  mystery  of  God,  and  of  the  Father^ 
and  of  Christ."' 

Mysterious  truth  !  that  the  self-same  should  be 
A  Lamb,  a  Shepherd,  and  a  Lion  too  ! 

Yet  such  was  He  .   •   .  •  ' 

Whom  first  the  shepherds  knew. 

When  they  themselves  became 

Sheep  to  the  Shepherd-Lamb. 

2Q 


350 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONKY  TO 


Shepherd  of  men  and  angels — ^Lamb  of  God — 
Lion  of  Judah — by  these  titles  keep 
The  wolf  from  thy  endangered  sheep. 

Bring  all  the  world  unto  thy  fold  ; 

Let  Jews  and  Gentiles  hither  come 

In  numbers  great  that  can't  be  told ;  , 

And  call  thy  lambs,  that  wander,  home; 
Glory  be  to  God  on  high; 

All  glories  be  to  the  glorious  Deitj.-^JBp.  Jeremy  Taylor, 

When  we  reflect  upon  the  source  of  masonic 
knowledge,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  founders  of  our  institution  borrowed  our  mystic 
number  three  from  the  holy  writings,  and  not 
from  the  customs  and  rites  of  heathen  worship. 
And  though  many  heathen  nations,  it  is  said,  had 
a  high  regard  for  the  emblem,*  we  would  rather 
think  that  they  also  obtained  it,  either  directly  or 
indirectly,  from  the  Scriptures,  than  to  entertain 
the  opinion  that  masonry  could  have  derived  it 
from  idolaters. 

The  power  and  majesty  of  the  Deity  are  im- 
pressed on  all  his  works.  His  Spirit  breathes, 
lives,  moves,  and  has  its  being  in  that  volume 
which  was  dictated  by  the  third  person  in  the 
Trinity.    God  is  manifested  on  every  page  of  that 


*  Three  was  considered  among  the  pagan  nations  as  the  chief  of 
the  mystical  numbers,  because,  as  Aristotle  remarks,  it  contains 
within  itself  a  beginning,  middle,  and  an  end.- — Mack.  Lex.  p.  313. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  351 

immortal  work.  And,  by  the  aid  of  its  eternal 
light,  we  can  perceive  luminous  traces  of  his  good  • 
ness,  mercy,  and  truth,  in  the  external  universe. 
Without  the  assistance  of  express  revelation,  we 
would  be  able  to  follow  effect  to  cause ;  but  with 
that  revelation,  we  find  a  name  for  that  cause — 
the  Creator  and  Builder  of  the  universe — an 
omnipotent,  omniscient,  and  omnipresent  God. 
And  although  we  might  survey,  without  that 
Great  Light,  the  beautiful  realms  of  nature,  and 
adore  an  unknown  Spirit,  it  is  in  the  Bible  that 
we  are  made  familiar  with  his  name,  and  obtain  a 
sure  knowledge  of  his  power,  wisdom,  and  mercy. 
It  is  there,  and  there  only,  that  we  have  marked 
out  that  path  which  leads  to  the  habitation  of  our 
heavenly  Master,  where  the  mysteries  of  the  God- 
head will  be  revealed  to  all  his  followers.  And 
in  heaven  only  will  be  brought  to  light  the  won- 
ders of  Revelation.  While  the  soul  inhabits  the 
flesh — its  earthly  lodge — it  can  never  fully  embrace 
the  mysteries  of  redemption  or  the  incommunicable 
truth  of  the  Trinity.  We  must  enter  the  temple 
of  the  new  Jerusalem,  and  be  raised  in  its  holy  of 
holies,  before  the  heavenly  knowledge  will  be 
imparted.  We  may  linger  here  on  some  Pisgah 
of  Christian  hope,  and  dream  of  the  promised  land, 
where  dwell  the  just  made  perfect;  but  it  is  only 


352        ,  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 

from  the  summits  of  eternal  glory  that  we  can 
behold  scenes  of  essential  beauty  and  peace.  And 
there  are  heights  in  the  spirit-world  to  be  scaled — 
holy  mountains  to  be  ascended.  We  may  infer 
from  the  revelations  of  St.  John  the  divine,  that 
the  Holy  Land,  with  its  rich  and  magnificent 
scenery,  its  mountains  and  ancient  city,  exists  in 
a  new  and  resplendent  beauty,  in  that  world  of 
"harpers  harping  with  their  harps."  Our  patron 
Saint  may  not  have  seen  in  reality  the  glories  of 
the  upper  kingdom,  with  its  mountains  gleaming 
in  the  light  of  eternity,  or  its  city  "  with  its  walls 
of  jasper,  its  gates  of  pearl,  and  its  streets  of  pure 
gold."  But  there  is  a  city  above,  and  there  is  a 
mystic  temple  which  towers  on  the  celestial  Mo- 
riah ;  and  he  either  saw  them  as  they  are,  or 
through  the  medium  of  types  and  figures,  splendid 
illustr^ttions,  or  brilliant  imagery.  His  prophetic 
soul  beheld  the  coming  down  of  the  new  Jerusalem. 
He  saw  afar  ofi"  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth. 
And  when  will  the  King  of  Israel  come  ?  When' 
will  the  King  of  Glory  descend  ?  When  shall  the 
Mighty  Master  approach  ?  "  The  Lord  our  God 
is  one  Lord."  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  are 
one.  "  Glory  be  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on 
earth,  and  good  will  toward  men." 


LECTURE  XV. 


I  am  but  one,  and  I  always  distrust  myself.  I  only  hint  my 
thoughts.  You'll  please  consider  whether  you  will  not  think  that  it 
may  seem  to  deserve  your  consideration. — Asgill. 

The)'-  listen'd  ;  for  unto  their  ear, 
The  word,  which  they  had  long'd  to  hear, 
Had  come  at  last — the  lifeful  word, — 
Which  they  had  often  almost  heard. — Trench* 

Meditation  here 
Ma^  think  down  hours  to  moments.    Here  the  heart 
May  give  a  useful  lesson  to  the  head, 
And  learning  wiser  grow  without  his  books. — Cowper. 

Jesus  Christ  is  the  name  given  to  the  Saviour 
of  mankind.*    All  Christians  believe  him  to  be 


*  Josephus  testifies  to  the  person  and  even  to  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

He  says  :  Now,  about  this  time,  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  it  be  lawful  to 

call  him  a  man,  for  he  was  a  doer  of  wonderful  works,  a  teacher  of 

such  men  as  receive  the  truth  with  pleasure.    He  was  the  Christ. 

And  when  Pilate,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  principal  men  amongst  us, 

had  condemned  him  to  the  cross,  those  that  loved  him  at  first  did  not 

forsake  him ;  for  he  appeared  to  them  alive  again  the  third  day,  as  the 

divine  prophets  had  foretold  these  and  ten  thousand  other  wonderful 

things  concerning  him. — dntiq.  of  the  Jews,  b.  xvii.  ch.  3,  p.  364. 
45  2  a  2  853 


354  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

the  true  Messiah,  through  whose  death,  resur- 
rection, and  ascension  was  achieved  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  world.  He  is  the  Great  King  and 
Deliverer,  for  whose  advent  all  previous  time  had 
been  preparing,  and  of  whom  the  prophets  spoke, 
and  types  also.  He  came  in  form  and  fashion  as 
a  man,  to  accomplish  the  profound  mystery  of . 
his  wisdom  and  love.  He  was  God  manifest  in 
the  flesh. — 1  Tim.  iii.  16.  In  Him  dwelt  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead. — Col.  ii.  9.  In  his  person 
resided  the  Divine  and  human  nature.  He  was 
the  perfect  man  and  the  perfect  God,  which  two 
characters  find  an  apt  and  sublime  illustration  in 
one  of  the  emblems  of  our  Order.  If  the  circum- 
ference of  the  circle  be  divided  into  six  equal 
parts,  and  lines  be  drawn  from  point  to  point 
through  the  circle,  there  will  be  obtained  a  double 
equilateral  triangle,  or  two  triangles  interlacing 
each  other,  within  the  circle,  the  apex  of  one 
pointing  upwards  to  Divinity,  and  the  apex  of  the 
other  downward  to  humanity* — the  upper  triangle 


*  "If  you  take  a  very  accurate  pair  of  compasses,"  says  the  en- 
lightened Willoughby  of  Birkenhead,  "  set  to  a  certain  radius,  and 
describe  a  circle,  then,  without  altering  the  radius,  you  divide  the 
circumference,  you  obtain  seven  points,  including  the  point  within  the 
centre,  which  is  the  number  of  perfection,  and  will  give  you  the  cube 
with  seven  stars  and  the  double  equilateral  triangle,  the  latter  being 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  355 

representing  the  perfect  God,  and  the  lower  tri- 
angle the  perfect  man.  The  triangle  was  regarded 
by  the  ancients  as  a  symbol  or  emblem  of  Deity. 
"It  still  retains  that  allusion,"  says  Mackey,  "as 
an  emblem  of  free  masonry."  Among  the  Hebrews 
the  ineffable  name  of  God  was  expressed  by  a  jod 
in  the  centre  of  an  equilateral  triangle. — Mack, 
Lex.  Many  have  supposed  that  the  triangle  had 
a  reference  to  the  Trinity.  Such  seems  to  be  the 
opinion  of  Dr.  Oliver,  Hutchinson,  and  other  dis- 
tinguished Masons.  There  certainly  cannot  be 
found  a  more  remarkable  emblem  of  the  Divine 
and  human  nature  of  our  Saviour  than  the  double 
equilateral  triangle  to  which  we  have  alluded. 
The  circle,*  in  which  it  is  obtained,  is  itself  a 
symbol  of  the  Almighty,  while  the  common  centre 
of  the  circle  is  the  point  from  which  all  perfect 


the  emblem  of  Christ — the  perfect  God  and  perfect  man.  The  apex 
pointing  upwards,  alluding  to  his  Divinity,  that  pointing  downwards 
to  his  humanity." — 1  01.  Land.  r\.  53,  p.  174. 

*  At  sea,  the  visible  horizon,  or  the  line  bounding  the  visible  portion 
of  the  earth's  surface,  is  everywhere  a  circle,  of  greater  or  less  extent, 
according  to  the  altitude  of  the  point  of  observation. — JVor.  Astron. 
p.  1.  Navigators  have  sailed  around  the  earth,  and,  steering  their 
course  in  one  direction,  have  arrived  at  the  place  from  which  they 
started.  The  polar  star  is  not  stationary,  but  describes  a  small  circle.. 
The  diurnal  motion  of  the  stars  is  circular.  The  path  of  the  sun  is  a 
circle. 


356 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


forms  emanate.  The  equilateral  triangles  are 
found  within  the  circle;  they  interlace  each  other,  - 
and  are  inseparable.  The  persons  of  th^  Trinity 
have  a  "mutual  inexistence  and  permeation  of  one 
another."  The  Divine  and  human  nature  of  Jesus 
Christ  proceeded  from  God.  The  Divinity  resided 
in  humanity,  and  humanity  was  inseparable  from 
the  Divinity;  and  they  were  so  blended  as  to 
excite  our  admiration  and  engage  our  love.  The 
triangles  are  united.  And  mercy  and  truth  met 
together  in  Christ,  and  righteousness  and  peace, 
kissed  each  other. — P^.  Ixxxv.  10.  It  was  requi- 
site that  the  Divine  and  human  nature  should 
meet  together  in  one  person.  It  was  essential 
that  the  Messiah  should  be  both  a  perfect  man 
and  a  perfect  God.  It  was  necessary  that  he 
should  be  perfect,  for  such  a  high  priest  became 
us,  who  is  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from 
sinners,  and  made  higher  than  the  heavens. — Heh, 
vii.  26.  He  offered  himself  through  the  Eternal 
Spirit,  without  spot  to  God. — Ih.  ix.  14. 

The  Almighty  may  be  compared  to  the  comraon 
centre  of  the  universe.  A  circle  may  be  described 
from  any  centre,  at  any  distance  from  that  centre. 
All  straight  lines  drawn  from  the  centre  to  the 
circumference  are  equal  to  one  another. — Euc.  EL 
The  equilateral  triangles  which  may  be  obtained 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  357 

in  the  circle,  may  be  viewed  as  emblems  of 
infinity.  Their  equal  sides  commence  in  the  cir- 
cumference and  end  in  it.  How  beautifully/  then, 
does  the  circle  and  the  perfect  figures  which  may 
be  obtained  in  it  represent  that  harmony  and 
order  which  pervade  every  part  of  God's  universe. 
All  that  He  has  made  is  perfect  from  the  centre 
to  the  circumference.  "  The  circle  of  the  universe 
has  its  centre  everywhere  and  its  circumference 
nowhere." 

There  is  mention  made,  in  our  charts,  of  the 
Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah ;  and  who  did  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah  symbolize?  The  tribe  of 
Judah  had  a  lion  embroidered  on  its  ensigns,  and 
the  lion  was  adopted  as  a  symbol  of  that  tribe. 
Judah  is  a  lion's  whelp.* — Gen.  xlix.  9.  The  lion 
hath  roared,  who  will  not  fear? — Amos  iii.  8.  The 
Lord  also  shall  roar  out  of  Zion.- — Joel  iii.  16. 
Behold,  says  the  Evangelist,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  the  root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to 
open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof 
— Rev.  V.  5.    Jesus  Christ,  then,  is  called  the 


*  Under  the  symbol  of  a  lion,  says  Dean  Woodhouse,  it  pleased  the 
Holy  Spirit,  by  the  mouth  of  the  patriarch,  to  foretell  the  victorious 
superiority  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  which  was  seen  to  take  place  partially 
and  typically  in  the  person  of  David  and  his  successors,  but  was  to 
receive  a  more  sublime  and  final  completion  in  Christ. 


358 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  All  ,our  masonic 
manuals  speak  of  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
through  whom  the  Christian  Mason  expects  to  be 
raised  in  the  morn  of  the  resurrection. 

The  power  of  Christ  to  raise  the  dead  was 
triumphantly  displayed  while  he  tabernacled  in 
the  flesh.  When  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
Lazarus,  come  forth;  he  that  was  dead  came 
forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  in  his  grave  clothes ; 
and  his  face  was  bound  about  with  a  napkin. — St. 
John  xi.  43.  But  mark  what  the  Lord  did  before 
he  bade  the  dead  arise.  Jesus,  groaning  in  him- 
self, Cometh  to  the  grave.  He  was  the  while 
holding  communion  with  the  Father;  for  when 
the  stone  was  rolled  away  from  the  tomb  of  Laza- 
rus, he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  said  :  Father,  I  thank 
thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me. — St.  John  xi.  41. 
The  enlightened  Mason  is  acquainted  with  the 
necessity  of  that  holy  prayer  on  that  occasion,  or 
of  invoking  the  aid  of  the  Supreme  God,  through 
whose  energies  alone  could  the  dead  be  raised. 
Solomon  knew  that  the  power  of  resurrecting  the 
dead  resided  in  the  Godhead.  Jesus  relied  upon 
the  Father.  How  mild  and  gentle  are  those 
words :  "  Father,  I  thank  thee."  How  confident 
and  majestic  the  command  :  "  Lazarus,  come  forth." 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  359 

How  awful  was  the  summons !  How  quickly  was 
it  obeyed.    He  spake,  and  Lazarus  came  forth  ! 

If  we  would  be  raised  in  glory,  we  must  pray 
for  ourselves  to  the  Father  of  all  mercies.  Jesus 
prayed  to  the  Father  for  power  to  raise  up  Laza- 
rus ;  and  he  groaned  and  wept  for  us,  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  when  he  gave  up  the  ghost. 
He  has  taught  us  how  to  pray,  and  the  fervent 
prayer  must  go  up  to  the  throne  from  off  the  altar 
of  the  heart,  to  beget  a  lively  hope  of  a  glorious 
.  resurrection.  It  will  be  too  late  to  pra}^  when  the 
Son  of  man  comes  to  judge  the  earth.  Dooms- 
day will  afford  no  time  for  meditation  or  prayer. 
It  will  be  a  day  of  awful  transactions  and  strict 
settlement  of  accounts.  The  ear  of  mercy  will 
then  be  deaf  to  the  cries  of  the  wicked,  and  the 
mountains  will  not  hide  them  from  the  face  of  the 
Judge. 

There  are  three  steps  and  three  degrees  in 
symbolical  masonry.  Each  step  or  degree  is  an 
advance  toward  light  and  knowledge.  There  is 
more  revealed  in  the  Fellow  Craft's  degree  than  in 
the  degree  of  Entered  Apprentice,  and  there  is  a 
fulness  of  light  and  knowledge  in  the  degree  of 
Master.  Mankind,  before  the  appearance  of  the 
Messiah,  had  been  partially  instructed  under  the 
patriarchal  and  Levitical  dispensations.    But  the 


360 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


world  was  then  comparatively  in  darkness.  More 
light  was  wanted,  and  the  Messiah  came  to  give 
more  light,  to  teach  and  instruct  the  world  in  the 
mysteries  of  his  kingdom.  A  bright  Mason  is  one 
enlightened  in  the  degrees,  and  illuminated  with 
"  truth.  Darkness  is  the  reverse  of  light.  It  is 
symbolical  of  ignorance  and  sin.  The  testimony 
of  the  scriptural  types  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Mosaic  dispensation  was  rendered  more  and  more 
lucid,  until  their  light  was  merged  in  the  greater 
light  of  the  antitype.  The  manifestations  of  our 
Redeemer  were  not  sudden ;  but  in  the  language 
of  an  eminent  writer  :  "  His  rising  upon  the  world 
resembled  the  rising  of  the  natural  sun :  preceded 
by  the  dawn,  the  twilight  and  preparatory  glories 
of  the  east,  at  length  he  himself  appeared,  clothed 
in  radiant  and  serene  majesty." 

Noiv,  Christ  raised  the  dead  only  three  times,  and 
at  each  successive  time  a  greater  poiver  was  displayed. 
In  the  case  of  Jairus's  daughter,  the  maid  had  been 
dead  but  a  very  short  time.  When  Jesus  went  to 
the  ruler's  house,  and  saw  the  minstrels  and  people 
making  a  noise,*  he  said  unto  them,  Give  place : 
for  the  maid  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth. — Matt.  ix. 


*  It  was  customary  among  the  Jews  to  employ  minstrels  or  pipers 
to  play  mournful  tunes,  &c.  upon  a  funeral  occasion. 


r 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELiaiON.  361 

23,  24.  He  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  the  maid 
arose. 

The  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  had  been  dead  a 
longer  time.  He  was  being  carried  to  his  grave, 
when  Christ  came  and  touched  the  bier,  and  they  , 
that  bore  him  stood  still :  and  he  said :  Young 
man,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise.  And  he  that  was 
dead  sat  up,  and  began  to  speak. — Luke  vii.  14,  15. 

The  third  and  last  time  that  Christ  exercised 
the  power  of  raising  the  dead,  was  in  the  case  of 
Lazarus.  He  was  buried  and  had  been  dead 
about  four  days.  Corruption  had  begun  its  work. 
His  spirit  was  to  be  called  back  to  its  polluted 
tenement.  By  the  omnipotent  grasp  of  the  Al- 
mighty, Lazarus  was  raised  from  decay  and  death. 
Jesus  groaned,  and  prayed,  and  wept,  on  his  way 
to  the  tomb  of  his  friend.  Yes !  Jesus  wept ! 
He  called  his  body  a  temple.  He  wept.  Then 
there  were  sorrow  and  mourning  in  that  temple. 
But  if  Lazarus  was  lost  in  death,  his  life  was  found 
again.  The  Son  of  God  had  offered  up  his  holy 
prayer  ■        ■     ~  - 

He  ceased, 

And  for  a  minute's  space  there  was  a  hush 

As  if  th'  angelic  watchers  of  the  world 

Had  stay'd  the  pulses  of  all  breathing  things 

^  ■  To  listen  to  that  prayer.    The  face  of  Christ 

Shone  as  he  stood,  and  over  him  there  came 
46  2  H 


362 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Command,  as  'twere  the  living-  face  of  God, 
A    ^  ^  And  with  a  loud  voice,  he  cried,  "  Lazarus  ! 

Come  forth  !"  Willis's  Poems,  p.  81. 

There  were  witnesses  to  these  three  great  events. 
And  there  were  mourners  too  for  the  departed. 
The  fame  of  these  events  went  abroad  throughout 
all  the  land.  The  occurrence  of  raising  Lazarus 
was  altogether  unexpected.  No  one  present  could, 
anticipate  by  what  word  or  process  the  miracle 
was  to  be  wrought.  -   .  v  '  . 

,  Nain  was  situated  about  two  iniles  south  of 
Mount  Tabor,  on  the  brow  of  a  hill.*  It  was  at 
the  gates  of  that  city,  and  while  the  funeral  pro- 
cession was  at  the  declivity  of  the  Mount,  the 
miracle  of  restoring  the  widow's  son  was  per- 
formed. Lazarus  lived  at  Bethany,  which  was 
near  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  buried  in 
Bethany.  This  miraculous  event  throws  a  flood 
of  light  over  our  ancient  lectures.f  Bethany  is 
situated  on  the  eastern  hrow  of  Olivet.    It  is  sup- 


*  Nain  was  a  small  city  or  town  in  Galilee,  not  far  from  Nazareth, 
at  the  gates  of  which  our  Saviour  raised  to  life  a  widow's  only  son. 
Eusebius  places  it  about  two  miles  to  the  south  of  Mount  Tabor, 
situated  on  the  declivity  of  a  mountain. — 2  Pict.  Did.  p.  917. 

t  Jesus  Christ  led  his  disciples  out  as  far  as  Bethany,  and  he 
lifted  up  his  eyes  and  blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  while 
he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them,  and  carried  up  into  heaven. 
— Luke  xxiv.  50,  51.  ^ 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  363 

posed  that  Lazarus  was  entombed  in  a  rock  hewn 
out  on  the  side  of  the  Mount.  The  tomb  was  so 
conveniently  situated  that  several  persons  could 
encircle  it.  And  several  persons  went  to  his 
grave  and  saw  him  raised  from  the  dead. 

We  have  frequently  alluded  to  the  innocence  of 
our  first  parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  Adam 
was  made  upright.  He  was  tried  by  the  rule  of 
God's  measurement,  and  w^as  found  upright.  One 
of  the  first  lessons  impressed  upon  the  mind  of  a 
Mason  is,  that  he  should  be  upright.  Every 
Entered  Apprentice  and  Fellow  Craft  engaged  at 
the  building  of  Solomon's  temple  were  enjoined  to 
be  obedient  to  the  will  of  their  masters.  God 
planted  a  garden  eastward  in  Eden,*  and  there  he 
put  the  man  whom  he  had  formed,  that  he  should 
dress  and  keep  it;  and  the  Lord  commanded  him, 
saying,  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou  mayest 
freely  eat;  but  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it :  for  the  day 
thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die. — Gen.  ii. 
16,  17.  The  command  of  God  was  violated. 
Adam's  desire  for  knowledge  was  too  great.  He 
became  impatient.     The  tree  was  desirable  to 


*  The  garden  of  Eden,  like  the  temple  of  Solomon,  was  an  emblem 
af  the  church  upon  earth. 


364 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


make  one  wise.    He  ate  of  its  fruit;  and  what 

was  the  consequence  ?    Its  . 

"  Mort&l  taste 
Brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all  our  woe 
With  loss  of  Eden." 

Death  was  the  penalty  of  the  crime :  "  Dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return."  But 
there  were  other  consequences.  Original purit?/  was 
lost.  This  was  a  universal  calamity.  It  involved 
all  posterity.  Every  human  being  on  the  earth — 
the  ground-floor  of  God's  temple,  became  tainted 
with  the  crime.  Although  the  descendants  of 
Adam  had  no  actual  part  in  the  violation  of  the 
law,  still  they  were  mysteriously  connected  with 
that  singular  event.  They  must  needs  be  involved. 
It  could  not  be  otherwise,  and  consistent  with  the 
integrity  of  heaven  and  steadfastness  of  the  Al- 
-  mighty.  The  whole  was  wisely  agreed  upon  and 
determined  in  the  council-chamber  of  eternity  by 
the  Triune  God.  The  Lamb  had  been  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world.*  The  death,  resur- 
rection, and  ascension  of  our  Saviour  were  all 
necessary  means  of  restoration.    God  provided  a 


*  The  scheme  of  redemption  by  the  death  of  the  only  begotten  Son 
of  God,  was  determined  from  the  beginning ;  that  is,  when  God  or , 
dained  the  deliverance  of  man,  he  ordained  the  means. — DWyly  and 
-  Mantes  Com.  Gen.  iv.  4. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  365 

remedy  for  our  ruined  nature  from  all  eternity :  a 
propitiation  was  made  for  sin  the  moment  it  was 
committed. 

The  church  of  God  rests  upon  and  rises  up  over 
the  grave  of  Jesus.  Its  materials  were  being  pre- 
pared during  his  short  ministry.  The  temple 
could  not  be  built  or  completed  until  after  his 
death.  When  Jesus  was  about  to  expire  on  the 
cross,  he  cried  out,  "  It  is  finished."  His  work  was 
done,  his  earthly  agonies  were  over.  He  had 
been  rejected ;  but  have  ye  not  read  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected,  the 
same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner? — Luke  xx. 
17.  These  words  were  originally  spoken  by 
David,  and  they  are  quoted  no  less  than  six  times 
in  the  New  Testament.  They  referred  to  the 
Messiah.  David  saw  afar  off  that  precious  corner 
stone  which  was  rejected,  and  knew  it  would 
become  the  head  of  the  corner.  He  spoke  of  the 
event  as  having  already  happened.  The  stone 
which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head 
stone  of  the  corner. — Ps,  cxviii.  22.  Bishop 
Horne  says,  that  the  118th  Psalm  is  a  "triumphal 
hymn,  sung  by  King  Messiah,  at  the  head  of  the 
Israel  of  God  on  the  occasion  of  his  resurrection 
and  ascension."  Our  Saviour,  then,  was  compared 
to  a  corner  stone,  rejected  of  men,  who  were  the 

2h2 


366 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


chief  priests  and  rulers  of  the  Jews.*  He  was 
crucified  and  cast  into  the  rubbish  of  the  grave. 
The  expression  rejected,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  is  one 
borrowed  from  Masons,  who,  finding  a  stone,  which 
being  tried  in  a  particular  place,  and  appearing 
improper  for  it,  is  thrown  aside,  and  another 
taken ;  however,  at  last,  it  may  happen  that  the 
very  stone  which  had  been  before  rejected,  may  be 
found  the  most  suitable  as  the  head  stone  of  the 
corner.-j- 

Evil  came  into  the  world  through  disobedience 
and  an  inordinate  desire  for  knowledge  of  the 
heavenly  mysteries.  The  innocence  of  nature 
was  lost,  and  it  could  only  be  restored  in  one 
way.  Christ  died  for  us,  and  through  his  merits 
only  can  we  eVer  find  that  which  was  lost.  His 
blood  wa&  shed  for  us.  He  died  for  all  mankind. 
We  believe  that  every  Entered  Apprentice  who 


*  Christ  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  the  foundation  of  the  church. 
He  is  also  called  the  chief  corner  stone  of  it.  He  is  also  called  the 
great  builder  of  it.  This,  says  the  Rev.  Charles  Bradley,  is  the 
ordinary  way  of  the  inspired  writers.  Christ  they  knew  to  be  all  in 
all.  No  one  figure,  they  see,  can  set  forth  his  importance.  Therefore 
they  apply  figure  after  figure  to  him. — 2  Brad.  Ser.  p.  264. 

,  f  It  is  said  that  Adam  Clarke  was  a  Free  Mason,  and  from  the  light 
which  he  has  shed  upon  various  passages  in  the  Bible,  there  can  be 
little  room  to  doubt  the  statement.  It  is  stated  that  Bishop  Home  and 
Calmet  were  Free  Masons. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION. 


867 


wronght  at  the  building  of  Solomon's  temple, 
would  have  been  entitled,  if  found  worthy,  to. 
enter  upon  the  Master's  carpet  when  that  temple 
was  completed.  Three  Master- Workmen,  of  one 
mind  and  one  feeling,  presided  over  the  work. 
Three  persons  and  one  God  constructed  the  tem- 
ple of  the  universe.  The  infinite  goodness  and  be- 
nignity of  the  Almighty,  from  his  wonderful  plans 
and  designs,  could  only  restore  our  fallen  nature 
through  the  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of 
his  only  begotten  Son,  who  esteemed  it  not  rob- 
bery to  be  called  equal  with  the  Father.  It  may 
be  here  remarked,  that  there  were  three  parties  to 
original  sin.  And  there  is  a  triple  alliance, — of 
the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil.  And  there 
is  a  Holy  Trinity — the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost. 

While  man  conformed  to  the  will  of  his  Maker, 
all  was  harmony,  beauty,  and  innocence.  While 
Adam  retained  his  integrity  and  was  obedient, 
there  was  no  confusion  in  the  beautiful  temple  of 
the  universe.  Every  thing  went  on  regularly. 
There  Avas  perfect  order.  But  upon  the  fall, 
there  came  confusion  and  disorder.  Adam  gained 
nothing  by  his  transgression,  save  a  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil,  which  was  obtained  at  the  expense 
of  forfeiting  that  which  he  had.    Death  was  the 


368  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

consequence  of  Ms  act.  The  Lord  would  not  permit 
him  to  remain  in  the  garden,  and  sent  him  beyond 
its  gateSj  on  his  way  to  ruin  and  death.  The 
covenant  was  broken,  and  he  could  continue  in 
Paradise  no  longer.  He  must  leave  the  seat  of 
bliss,  and  once  the  seat  of  innocence.  The  judg- 
ment is  pronounced.  The  awful  sentence  is  passed. 
He  departs,  and  cherubim,  with  flaming  swords,  as 
sentinels  of  divine  justice,  take  their  station  at  the 
east  of  the  garden,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of 
life. 

As  soon  as  our  first  parents  transgressed,  they 
endeavoured  to  conceal  themselves  and  escape 
from  the  presence  and  justice  of  God.  They 
knew  that  they  were  guilty,  and  fled  and  hid 
themselves  among  the  trees  of  the  garden.  Their 
eflbrts  to  escape  were  vain.  They  were  found 
near  the  scene  of  their  guilt,  and  brought  to 
punishment.  All  the  parties  to  the  deed  were 
condemned,  and  each  one  received  a  different 
punishment.  There  were  three  penalties.  The 
serpent  was  cursed  above  all  cattle  and  above 
every  beast  of  the  field.  The  sentence  was  pro- 
nounced: Upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust 
shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life.*    Unto  the 

*  Three  things  are  involved  in  the  curse  pronounced  upon  the 
serpent:  1st.  The  stature  of  the  serpent,  which  many  persons  sup 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  369 

woman  he  said,  I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  sorrow 
and  thy  conception;  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring 
forth  children;  and  thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy 
husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee.  And  unto 
Adam  he  said:  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt 
thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  unto  the  ground; 
for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return. 
— Gen.  iii. 

The  act  of  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  was  a  sin 
of  commission.  And  had  not  sin  been  committed, 
there  would  have  been  no  redemption;  for  the 
covenant  would  not  have  been  violated,  and  con- 
sequently there  would  not  have  been  any  ground 
for  reconciliation.*  But  the  will  of  God  was  dis- 
obeyed, and  had  not  Christ  suffered  and  died,  not 
one  of  Adam's  race  could  have  entered  the  holy 
of  holies  in  the  temple  of  God.  In  our  view,  the 
posterity  of  Adam  gained  much  mediately  from- 
the  transgression.  God  will  be  justified,  and  every 
Christian  will  "  be  reconciled,  adopted,,  sanctified," 
and  brought  to  greater  light  and  glory.  The 
church  of  Christ  has  been  substituted  or  established 


posed  to  have  been  erect,  was  brought  down,    2d.  The  serpent  was 

to  feed  upon  the  dust.     3d.  There  was  continual  enmity  to  exist 

Detween  the  serpent  and  mankind. 

*  The  two  great  cardinal  events  in  the  history  of  man  are  the  fall 

and  the  recovery.    Innocence,  being  lost,  was  to  be  restored. 
47 


370 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


on  earth,  and  there  is  also  a  church  in  heaven. 
Then  there  is  a  church  mihtant  and  a  church 
triumphant.  No  Mason  can  be  exalted,  unless  he 
has  taken  the  Master's  degree.  The  one  neces- 
sarily precedes  the  other.  The  church  militant  is 
on  earth — the  church  triumphant  in. heaven.  Had 
not  Jesus  died,  there  would  have  been  no  church 
here,  and  none  above.  We  would  have  been  with- 
out a  plan  of  redemption,  or  the  means  of  regaining 
the  favour  of  an  offended  God  or  his  ineffable 
mercy.  True,  we  have  to  pass  through  many 
trials  and  difficulties travel  many  dangerous 
paths  in  life,  and  many  roads  beset  with  all  kinds 
of  temptations,  and  may  possibly  lose  life  eternal, 
and  which  is  full  of  glory.  But  there  is  much 
efficiency  in  prayer — silent  prayer  and  holy  medi- 
tation. The  sinner  should  often  retire  alone  to 
pray,  and  kneel,  as  it  were,  in  the  very  presence 
of  his  Master.  His  thoughts  'and  aspirations  must 
ascend  to  the  holy  of  holies  in  eternity,  where 
God  is  manifested  in 'mercy  and  glory.  Answered 
prayer  will  enable  us  to  encounter  all  danger  and 
peril,  and  to  pass  safely  the  gates  of  death ;  for 
we  will  then  be  on  our  way  to  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  and  pass  its  arches  in  search  of  long  lost 
innocence.  The  Christian,  when  he  goes  down 
into  the  grave,  will  be  consoled  with  the  beautiful 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  371 

sentiment :  "  He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be 
exalted." 

In  our  monitors  it  is  written,  that  the  third 
degree  exemplifies  an  instance  of  virtue,  fortitude, 
and  integrity  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  man. 
But  the  prophet  Isaiah  gives  an  affecting  picture  of 
virtue,  fortitude,  and  integrity,  without  a  parallel 
in  the  universe.  He  was  despised  and  rejected  of 
men;  he  came  to  his  own,  and  his  own  received 
him  not;  he  was  stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and 
afflicted;  he  was  taken  away  by  distress  and  by 
judgment;  he  was  cut  off  "out  of  the  land  of  the 
living;  his  grave  was  with  the  wicked,  but  he 
was  with  the  rich  after  his  death;  his  visage  was 
marred  more  than  any  man's,  and  his  form  more' 
than  the  sons  of  men ;  he  was  stricken  upon 
various  parts  of  his  body;  he  had  done  no  vio- 
lence, neither  was  there  any  deceit  in  his  mouth ; 
the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and 
with  his  stripes  we  are  healed. 

The  ruling  principle  of  ancient  craft  masonry, 
we  believe,  is  to  illustrate  biblical  truth.  Divested 
of  this  principle,  the  institution  is  deprived  of  all 
its  beauty  and  power.  But  when  its  mysteries 
and  doctrines  are  investigated  in  connection  with 
those  contained  in  Divine  revelation,  and  it  is 
found  that  they  harmonize,  we  are  delighted  with 


^    372  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

their  consistency,  and  astonished  at  their  gran- 
deur, while  we  feel  assured  that  masonry  may 
be  made  a  great  instrument  in  spreading  the  gos- 
pel and  in  convincing  the  skeptical. 

Nearly  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  years  have 
elapsed  since  our  Lord  appeared  upon  the  earth  in 
his  Divine  and  human  character.  Sin  came  into 
the  world  soon  after  the  creation  of  man.  The 
plan  of  redemption  embraced  all  men  in  .all  ages. 
Upon  the  ruins  of  the  first  estate  arose  thq  media- 
torial kingdom.  With  the  rebellion  came  the 
surety.  The  eternal  word  and  eternal  life  were 
vouchsafed  when  the  Lamb  was  slain  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne. 

In  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  gospel  according  to 
St.  Matthew,  is  contained  a  graphic  account  of  the 
temptation  of  our  Saviour.  The  prince  of  evil 
insidiously  attacked  the  Master,  but  his  Divine 
integrity  and  truth  could  not  be  made  to  yield. 
Jesus  was  tempted  at  three  different  places,  at  three 
distinct  times,  and  in  three  different  ways,  but  how 
firmly  he  resisted  the  suggestions  of  the  devil! 
The  first  temptation  was  in  the  wilderness.  It 
failed.  The  devil  then  took  him  up  into  the  holy 
city,  and  set  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,* 

*  A  wing  of  the  temple ;  that  is,  a  part  of  the  roof  of  one  of  its 
courts.— and  Manfs  Com.  Ma^t.  iv.  . 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  373 

and  there  tempted  him.  The  resistance  of  the 
Saviour  seemed  to  wax  stronger,  and  he  said  to 
the  devil :  "  It  is  written  again,  Thou  shalt  not 
tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."  And  again  the  evil 
one  "taketh  him  up  into  an  exceeding  high  moun- 
tain, and  showeth  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  and  the  glory  of  them;  and  saith  unto  him, 
All  these  things  will  I  give  thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall 
down  and  worship  me."  At  this  last  trial,  the 
Lord  became,  if  possible,  more  decided  and  posi- 
tive, and  said :  "  Get  thee  hence,  Satan :  for  it  is 
written.  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve." 

The  best  of  Masons  are  liable  to  be  tempted. 
There  are  many  evil  persons  ready  to  assail  them, 
even  thrice,  and  at  times  when  they  least  expect 
an  assault.  If  tempted,  it  is  our  duty  to  repel  at 
once  the  unlawful  act,  and  resist  it  with  firmness 
and  decision. 

The  devil  is  called  the  tempter  in  Matthew's 
gospel;  and  the  word  which  means  tempter  or 
trier,  in  the  original  Greek,  signifies  to  pierce 
through. — Claries  Com.  Matt.  iv.  3.  It  would 
seem,  then,  that  the  object  of  Satan's  attack  was 
three-fold — to  humble  Christ,  to  prove  him,  and  to 
know  what  was  in  his  heart.  He  would  not  be 
humbled  by  the  enemy  of  mankind,  but  proved 

21 


374 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


himself  firm  and  steadfast,  and  Satan  knew  not 
what  was  in  his  heart. 

It  is  a  well  •  known  fact,  that  all  the  Entered 
Apprentice  Masons  in  the  world  cannot  make  an 
Entered  Apprentice  Mason;  nor  can  any  number 
of  Fellow  Crafts  do  it ;  nor  can  any  number  of 
Eellow  Crafts  make  a  Fellow  Craft.  None  but 
Master  Masons  can  confer  a  degree,  and  it  requires 
at  least  tliree  Master  Masons  to  make  a  Master 
Mason.  They  must  unite  and  agree  in  the  work, 
which  can  be  done  only  in  one  way.  Mankind 
can  only  be  saved  in  one  way.  We  must  go 
through  the  process  of  regeneration :  Every  man 
in  his  ovm  order  ;  first  Christy  and  tliey  that  come  after 
him,  Christ  tasted  of  death :  so  must  we.  He 
rose  again :  so  must  all  the  earth.  He  Mew  and 
oheyed  the  commandment  of  the  Father,  ivhat  ht  shoidd 
say  and  what  he  sKould  speak.  Whatever  he  spoJce, 
therefore,  even  as  the  Father  said  unto  him,  so  he 
sp6ke. — >S^.  John  xii.  49,  50.  The  apostle  Paul, 
speaking  of  Christ,  says:  If  we  be  dead  with  him, 
we  shall  also  live  with  him;  if  we  suffer,  we  shall 
also  reign  with  him. — 2  Tim.  ii.  11, 12.  And  where 
is  the  body  of  Christ?  It^is  in  the  real  holy  of 
holies.  There  is  the  seat  of  eternal  mercy  and 
the  abode  of  cherubim.  A  knowledge  of  God  or 
his  holy  word  can  only  be  imparted  in  one  way, 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  375 

and  as  it  is  received  it  can  only  be  imparted.  The 
sinner  must  ask  before  he  can  expect  the  favour 
of  Heaven;  he  must  seek  before  he  can  find  it; 
and  he  must  knock  before  the  door  will  be  opened 
,unto  him.  He,  too,  must  begin  the  good  work, 
before  the  word  of  God  will  be  regularly  and 
spiritually  communicated.  Its  golden  letters  spell 
salvation.  He  who  would  prove  himself  worthy, 
must  commence  in  a  way  to  make  himself  known; 
for  his  commencement  is  the  alpha  or  beginning 
of  wisdom. 

We  have  assimilated  the  ground  floor  of  Solo- 
mon's temple  to  the  earth,  the  inner  chamber  to 
the  region  of  the  stars,  and  the  holy  of  holies  to 
heaven.*  The  Father  gave  to  his  only  begotten 
Son  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth.  The  Redeemer 
came  down  from  heaven  to  the  earth — from  the 
holy  of  holies  to  the  ground  floor.  And  he  was 
above  all. — John  iii.  31.  He  was  the  Master;  and 
being  equal  with  the  Father  and  the  Spirit,  had  a 
knowledge  of  all  mysteries.  .  He  existed  from  all 
eternity  to  make  intercession  for  us.  He  was 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  but  conceived  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Virgin  is  represented 
under  the  tjiree-fold  description  of  her  name,  cori- 


•  Vide  supra,  p.  326  and  note. 


876  ,  ANAIiOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

dition,  and  action.  Her  name  was  Mary,  her 
condition  a  virgin,  and  her  action  the  conception 
and  birth  of  Christ. — Pearson  on  the  Greedy  p.  265. 
Hiram,  the  builder,  was  the  son  of  a  widow;  and,, 
so  far  as  we  are  informed,  he  was  the  first  and 
only  son  of  that  widow.*  Sanctify  unto  me  all 
the  first  born. — Ex.  xiii.  2.  Every  male  that 
openeth  the  womb  shall  be  called  holy  to  the 
Lord.— ii.  23.  A  widow,  too,  is  mentioned 
as  an  object  of  peculiar  interest  in  the  Scriptures : 
Judge  the  fatherless,  plead  for  the  widow.- — Im, 
i.  17.  Oppress  not  the  stranger,  the  fatherless, 
and  the  widow. — Jer,  vii.  6.  Ye  shall  not  afilict 
any  Avidow  or  fatherless  child. — Ex.  xxii.  22. 
The  Lord  preserveth  the  strangers;  he  relieveth 
the  fatherless  and  widow. — Ps.  cxlvi.  9. 

But  Christ  calleth  himself  the  Master  Builder, 
While  on  earth  he  was  constantly  going  about 
doing  good.  He  taught  in  the  synagogue,  in 
the  highway,  and  in  the  market-place.  He  was 
continually  instructing  his  disciples — his  pious 
workmen — in  the  great  principles  upon  which  his 
church  was  to  be  founded,  the  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  religion.    He  made  known  those  vast 


*  It  is  remarkable  that  the  Bible  should  contain  so  little  about  the 
life  and  character  of  this  builder 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  377 

designs  which  were  drawn  on  his  tracing-board, 
and  instructed  the  world  in  the  plan  of  his  glorious 
undertaking.  He  also  spoke  of  an  inheritance  in 
store  for  all  who  proved  themselves  worthy.  But 
Judas  lost  confidence  in  his  Master  and  betrayed 
him.  He  was  handed  over  to  his  enemies,  tried, 
condemned,  and  crucified  on  the  earth,  on  one  of 
the  iliree  peaks  of  Mount  Moriah^  near  where  the 
old  temple  stood.  He  was,  it  may  be  said,  literally 
vslain  on  the  ground  floor  of  that  temple,  for  its 
foundations  were  made  of  clay  taken  from  Calvary. 
And  it  is  a  curious  fact  in  the  eye  of  a  Mason,  that 
when  the  Jews  cried  out  against  the  release  of 
Jesus,  Pilate  heard  them  and  brought  Jesus  forth 
and  sat  him  down  in  the  judgment-seat,  in  a  place 
that  was  called  the  'pavement.  And  it  was  the 
preparation  of  the  Passover  and  about  the  Bixth 
hour,  which  was  midday. — John  xix.  13,  14.  The 
pavement  alluded  to,  says  a  compiler,  was  no 
doubt  a  tesselated  pavement  of  Mosaic  work,  \n  front 
of  the  palace  of  Pilate,  where  the  sentence  of  cru- 
cifixion was  pronounced. 

Pilate,  the  judge  who  condemned  our  Saviour 
to  suffer  death,  protested  his  innocence.  He  did 
not  take  any  part  in  the  execution,  but  he  was 
privy  to  the  transaction.  He  was  reluctant  to 
condemn  him,  or  enter  into  the  conspiracy  against 

48   .  2i2 


378 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONEY  TO 


him.  And  it  is  a  signal  truth,  that  he  made  an 
attempt  to  deliver  Christ  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Jews.  After  he  failed  in  this,  what  did  he  ? 
When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  do  nothing,  and 
that  the  design  of  the  conspirators  would  be  carried 
into  execution^  he  took  water  and,  washed  his 
hands,  saying,  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  person.  And  then  answered  they  that  were 
concerned  in  the  plot,  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on 
our  children. — Matt,  xxvii.  24,  25. 
'  ^  The  Christian  world  regard  the  death  of  our 
Saviour  as  a  murder.*  He  was  not  tried  according 
to  the  forms  of  law.  Having  passed  a  mock  trial, 
which  eventuated  in  acquittal,  such  was  the  vio- 
lence of  the  moB  and  the  timidity  of  the  judge, 
he ,  was  again  arraigned.  The  charge  preferred 
against  him  was  blasphemy,  and  of  that  crime  he 
was  convicted.  There  was  another  accusation, 
that  of  treason.  The  plot  to  take  his  life  had 
been  made  some  time  before  he  was  taken  prisoner. 
His  death  had  been  fully  resolved  upon  from  the 
time  he  raised  Lazarus.  Then  gathered  the  chief 
priests  and  the  Pharisees  a  council,  and  said,  What 


*  For  a  concise  view  and  accurate  account  of  the  trial  of  Jesus,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  Greenleaf  s  Testimony  of  the  Evangelists,  Ap- 
pendix No.  4,  p.  520. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  379 

do  we  ?  for  this  man  doeth  many  miracles.  If  we 
let  him  thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe  on  him ; 
and  the  Komans  shall  come  and  take  away  both 
pur  place  and  nation.  And  one  of  them,  named 
Caiaphas,  being  the  high  priest  that  same  year, 
said  unto  them,  Ye  know  nothing  at  all,  nor  con- 
sider that  it  is  expedient  for  us  that  one  man 
should  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the  whole 
nation  perish  not.  And  this  spake  he  not  of 
himself:  but  being  high  priest  that  year,  he 
prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for  that  nation : 
and  not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that  also  he 
should  gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God 
that  were  scattered  abroad.  Then  from  that  day 
forth  they  took  counsel  together,  for  to  put  him  to 
death. — JSt.  John  xi.  47 — 53.     '  ^  ■  •' 

The  first  step  taken  against  the  Messiah  accom- 
plished nothing.  Political  excitement  could  not 
be  brought  to  bear  effectually  against  him.  The 
second  effort  was  to  awaken  against  him  a  religious 
animosity,  which  also  failed.  Then  a  certain 
lawyer  interrogated  him,  tempting  him,  saying. 
Master,  which  is  the  greatest  commandment  in 
the  law  ?  The  reply  of  the  Saviour  put  him  to 
confusion  and  silence.  Then  these  open  attempts 
against  the  life  of  that  pure  and  holy  being  all 
failed.    It  was  therefore  determined  to  secure  his 


380       "     '.  y     ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

person  secretly.  He  was  betrq-yed  by  Judas,  one 
of  the  twelve ;  cJiarged  with  blasphemy  and  also 
with  treason.  The  Sanhedrim  found  him  guilty 
of  blasphemy,  but  possessed  no  power  to  pass 
sentence  of  death.*  The  crime  was  such  that  the 
Roman  Governor  could  not  notice  it  under  the 
law.  He  was  then  arraigned  for  treason,  and 
acquitted.  He  was  arraigned  a  third  time,  tried, 
convicted,  and  crucified.  So  he  was  tried  ihree 
times  before  the  conspirators  accomplished  their 
object. 

Every  Mason  should  keep  in  view  the  important 
fact,  that  before  Christ  was  betrayed  and  taken  by 
his  enemies,  he  retired  alone  io  pray,  or  hold  com- 
munion with  the  Father.  He  was  sorrowful.  He 
anticipated  his  death.  He  knew  the  time  was 
near  at  hand  when  he  must  lay  down  his  life,  the 
just  for  the  unjust.  When  he  reached  Gethse- 
mane,  he  said  unto  his  disciples.  Sit  ye  here,  while 
I  go  and  pray  yonder.  He  retired,  and  fell  on  his 
face  and  prayed.  And  he  prayed iAr^^  different 
times  the.  same  prayer:  0  my  Father,  if  it  be 
possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me:  nevertheless 

*. Though  the  Sanhedrim  had  condemned  him,  they  had  not  the 
power  to  pass  a  capital  sentence ;  this  being  a  right  which  had  passed 
from  the  Jews  by  conquest  of  their  country,  and  now  belonged  to  the 
Romans  alone. — Green.  Tes.  of  Evan,  Appendix,  p.  526. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION. 


381 


not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.*  It  would  seem 
that  he  knew  that  there  was  no  escape  through 
his  own  earthly  strength;  he  prayed  to  the 
Father,  who  sealed  his  death.  If  this  cup  may 
not  pass  from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be 
done.f — Matt.  xxvi.  36.  In  the  fervent  and  ago- 
nizing petitions  of  Jesus,  his  human  nature  mani- 
fested the  deepest  distress.  The  cup  of  which  he 
drank  was  full  of  bitterness.  There  were  none  to 
save  him.  His  own  strong  arm  of  Divinity  was 
uplifted  for  his  death  :  the  Holy  Spirit  was  a  party 
to  the  deed :  and  the  Father  willed  that  he  should 
die.  He  prayed  to  the  Father  in  vain.  His.  dis- 
ciples, when  he  was  betrayed,  were  taking  refresh- 
ment in  sleep :  And  he  cometh  unto  his  disciples 
and  findeth  them  asleep,  and  saith  unto  Peter, 
What,  could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour? — 
Matt.  xxvi.  40.  He  was  seized  and  carried  before 
Pilate;  he  was  tried,  condemned,  and  crucified. 
He  died  on  Calvary.  A  grave  was  prepared  for 
his  body.    It  was  a  new-made  tomb.    And  where 


*  It  was  in  the  cave  of  Gethsemane,  at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  that  Christ  retired,  according  to  tradition,  to  escape  sometimes 
from  the  persecution  of  his  enemies  and  the  importunities  of  his  dis- 
ciples.— 1  Lamartine  Pil.  p.  302. 

f  These  words  ought  to  be  the  epitaph  of  every  life,  and  the  sole 
aspiration  of  every  created  being. — Ibid. 


882  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

was  it?  "Come  and  see  where  Jesus  lay."  It 
was  at  or  near  the  scene  of  crucifixion.  He 
reposed  at  the  foot  of  "  the  throne  of  the  thunder.'- 
The  place  of  the  holy  sepulchre  is  supposed  by 
many  to  be  immediately  under  the  dome  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  that  church  is 
situated  on  the  supposed  Mount  of  crucifixion. — 
1  Pict.  Did.  p.  679.  He  was  buried  near  the 
place  of  his  crucifixion.  Jesus  died!  His  death 
was  a  gradual  work.  It  was  not  accomplished  at 
a  single  blow;  but  it  was  consummated,  and  he 
died  for  all.  The  star  in  our  checkered  pavement 
would  teach  the  brethren  that  he  died  that  all 
might  have  eternal  life.  That  pavement  is  an 
emblem  of  human  life — made  up  of  various 
thoughts,  feelings,  wants,  affections,  sympathies, 
and  vicissitudes,  like  Mosaic  work,  which  is  com- 
posed of  a  number  of  precious  and  variegated 
stones,  all  nicely  fitted  and  blended  together.  In 
the  midst  of  that  pavement  is  our  emblematical 
star.  Men  and  brethren  !  the  heavens  are  shining 
above  you.  "  A  diadem  is  sparkling  in  the  firma- 
ment." A  radiant  delta  is  visible  in  our  clouded 
canopy. 

When  our  Lord  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice  and 
gave  up  the  ghost,  the  vail  was  rent  in  twain  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom.    There  was  great  confusion 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  383 


Oil  the  Mount.  Even  silence  reigned  in  heaven. 
Darkness  threw  her  mantle  over  the  earth.  There 
was  moaning  among  his  disciples.  They  knew 
not  what  to  do.  Their  Master  was  dead.  Nature 
was  distracted  with  grief.  The  earthquake  shook 
the  mountains.  The  rocks  wqre  rent,  and  opened 
their  dumb  mouths/'  to  condemn  the  guilty  mur- 
derers. There  were  voices  in  the  very  clefts  of 
the  adjacent  hills,  and  they  were  the  voices  of 
condemnation.  The  rocks  uttered  groans  of 
lamentation.  The  earth  tasted  of  the  innocent 
blood,  and  was  filled  with  grief  And  all  the 
people  that  came  together  to  that  sight,  beholding 
the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their  breasts, 
and  returned. — Luke  xxiii.  48.  How  dark  must 
have  been  that  hour  when  the  Son  of  man  expired ! 
But  his.  death  was  a  mighty  triumph.  It  was 
heralded  throughout  the  universe.  The  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil  were  overthrown.  The 
song  of  victory  was  hymned  in  eternity.  Its  lofty 
notes  filled  the  realms  of  immensity.  The  Saviour 
had  conquered  death  and  hell.  An  angel  of  the 
Lord  had  descended  from  heaven  and  rolled  back 
the  stone  from  the  sepulchre.  He  rose  from  the 
dead.  The  victorious  sleeper  leaped  from  the 
tomb.  The  powers  of  darkness  could  not  hold 
him  there.    He  tarried  for  a  season  on  the  earth. 


384  .    ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

Having,  finished  his  work,  he  led  his  disciples  to 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  after  pronouncing  a 
solemn  benediction,  ^^he  was  parted  from  them 
and  carried  up  into  heaven." 

"  Now,  lifted  as  on  mighty  wing, 

He  curtain'd  his  ascent,  , . 

And,  wrapt  in  clouds,  went  triumphing 
Above  the  firmament." 

Angels  herald  him  to  glory.  "  They  precede 
his  approach,  and  boldly  on  his  behalf  demand 
entrance  into  the  realms  of  light."*  "  Lift  up 
your  heads,  0  ye  gates;"  they  cry,  "and  be  ye 
lift  up,  ye  everlasting  doors ;  and  the  King  of 
glory  shall  come  in."  A  voice  is  heard  from 
heaven  asking,  "Who  is  the  King  of  glory?" 
"  The  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty 
in  battle,"  is  the  reply.  And  again  they  exclaim  : 
"  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates ;  even  lift  them 
up,  ye  everlasting  doors  ;  and  the  King  of  glory 
shall  come  in."f    Again  the  heavenly  keepers 


*  Bishop  Home,  commenting  on  the  24th  Psalm,  says :  We  must 
now  form  to  ourselves  an  idea  of  the  Lord  of  glory,  after  his  resurrec 
tion  from  the  dead,  making  his  entry  into  the  eternal  temple  of  heaven , 
as  of  old  by  the  symbol  of  his  presence,  he  took  possession  of  tha\ 
figurative  and  temporary  structure  which  once  stood  upon  the  hill  of 
Zion. 

f  That  these  words  have  a  secondary,  if  not  a  primary,  reference  t<. 
the  ascension  of  our  Saviour,  the  reader  is  referred  to  an  able  sermon 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  386 

inquire :  "  Who  is  the  King  of  glory  ?  The 
Lord  of  Hosts,  he  is  the  King  of  glory."  The 
golden  gates  are  opened  wide,  and  he  enters  the 
New  Jerusalem. 

He  was  attended  by  a  splendid  procession  of 
angels  arrayed  in  white.  He  was  seen  in  his 
ascended  state.  John  saw  him ;  so  did  St.  Stephen 
and  St.  Paul.  And  he  ascended  from  a  Mount. 
He  was  conducted  to  the  temple  on  high.  He 
appeared  there  as  a  priest.  He  opened  the  way  to 
that  most  holy  place.  And  in  heaven  there  is  an 
everlasting  monument  erected  to  the  goodness  and 
greatness  of  God.  That  monument  is  his  human 
nature,  upon  which  is  delineated  an  inscription  of 
his  sufferings  and  his  death — his  mercy  and  truth. 
It  was  reared  in  honour  and  in  memory  of  the 
dying  man.  It  is  a  most  beautiful  structure,  and 
is  situated  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne.  There 
is  no  virgin  there  weeping  over  it.  The  recording 
angel  is  smiling  near  it.  The  Lamb's  Book  of 
Life  is  open  before  her.  Her  right  hand  is  inscrib- 
ing upon  its  enduring  pages  the  deeds  of  men ; 
her  left  is  pointing  to  the  church  on  earth,  in 
which  is  treasured  up  the  memory  of  Jesus.  And 


of  one  of  the  most  eloquent  of  living  divines. — 1  Met  Ser,  345.  See 

fUso  D'Oyly  and  Manfs  Com. 

49  2E 


386 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


time  with  his  scythe  is  not  there ;  but  a  beautiful 
seraph  is  unfolding  the  inimortal  ringlets  of  that 
angel,  while  she  enrols  the  names  of  the  blessed. 

The  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  did 
not  restore  what  was  lost.  It  was  necessary  that 
he  should  be  exalted  in  his  human  but  glorified 
nature,  in  order  that  redemption  might  be  made 
complete.  There  may  be  salvation,  in  one  sense, 
in  this  life ;  but  the  righteous  must  die  before 
they  can  obtain  everlasting  salvation.  And  who 
can  rightly  estimate  the  exaltation  of  the  true 
believer!  He  is  elevated  to  the  most  august 
de2:ree  of  knowleds^e  and  virtue.  "  He  will  be 
filled  with  all  the  goodness  of  God."  The  devoted 
follower  of  the  Lamb  will  know  the  name  of 
Jehovah ;  and  will  be  introduced  into  the  presence 
of  the  holy  priesthood,  that  council  composed  of 
one  in  three  and  three  in  one. 

How  simple  and  beautiful  is  the  expression: 
"  Behold  !  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock."  It 
implies  that  he  who  knocks  has  a  right  to  be 
admitted.  It,  perhaps,  implies  something  more. 
He  who  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks  may  not 
be  answered  the  first  time  he  knocks.  Behold !  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock.  And  who  is  he  that 
stands  at  the  door  and  knocks  ?  One  who  has  a 
right  to  come  in.    He  is  our  Grand  Master.  Let 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  387 


all  the  affections  of  the  heart  receive  him  and  clap 
their  hands  for  joy.  He  has  a  right  to  the  throne, 
and  to  preside  over  the  mysteries  of  the  soul.  He 
would  raise  all  the  Entered  Apprentices  and 
Fellow  Crafts  to  a  knowledge  of  himself.  He 
offers  pardon  to  children  :  "  Remember  thy  Creator 
in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  while  the  evil  days  come 
not."  We  may  serve  our  Master  profitably  in 
manhood.  He  would  preside  over  the  young  and 
the  manly  affections,  and  prepare  them  for  the 
world  to  come.  There  is  the  hope  of  glory  here, 
but  the  fulness  of  joy  must  come  hereafter.  We 
must  all  be  tried  by  our  works ;  bear  the  burdens 
of  the  day,  and  the  trials  of  time ;  and  we  will  be 
tried  by  our  words  also.  There  will  be  a  due 
examination,  before  we  can  meet  and  mingle  with 
the  celestial  craft.  Lord  !  raise  us  all  to  the  Holy 
Mount  and  Holy  City ! 

Immediately  preceding  the  temptation  of  our 
Lord,  John  baptized  him,  and  as  he  went  up  out 
of  the  water  the  heavens  were  opened,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  descended  upon  him.  A  voice  was 
heard  from  heaven  saying.  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.  The  church 
was  in  progress.  Its  builder  had  descended  from 
the  skies.  He  was  chosen  of  God.  No  one  else 
could  do  the  work.    The  attack  of  Satan  was 


388 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


made  just  after  he  had  been  in  the  third  heaven, 
holding  communion  with  the  Father.  The  arch 
enemy  made  his  assault  in  a  solitary  place,  and 
near  about  the  time  when  the  work  of  redemption 
was  to  be  finished.  He  met  Christ  alone.  And 
there  are  enemies  which  never  dare  to  assail  us 
except  in  solitude.  There  are  unseen  dangers 
around  and  about  us ;  and  it  is  generally  in  private 
that  they  carry  their  nefarious  designs  into  execu- 
tion. They  lie  in  ambush  at  every  avenue  of  the 
heart,  to  tempt  our  holy  afiections  and  destroy  our 
good  resolutions. 

All  the  principles  and  mysteries  of  our  Order 
were  derived  from  the  East.  Every  genuine 
lodge  hails  from  that  quarter.  The  Order  origi- 
nated in  that  land  of  marvellous  things,  a  "  land 
of  beauty  and  of  grandeur  too,"  and  a  land  still 
burning  with  divinity.  We  trace  our  mystic 
knowledge  to  Jerusalem,  that  ancient  seat  of  light 
and  wisdom.  We  turn  our  faces  toward  it.  Let 
us  approach  in  a  proper  manner.  Let  all  our 
steps  be  regular  and  upright.  Let  us  go  with  a 
sincere  desire  to  subdue  our  passions  and  improve 
our  hearts.  We  should  all  be  prepared  before  we 
presume  to  wear  an  emblem  of  innocence. 

Hiram,  the  chief  architect  of  the  first  temple, 
was,  in  all  things,  obedient  to  the  will  of  Solomon. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  389 

As  the  work  progressed,  his  obedience  became 
more  manifest;  and  he  seemed  to  grow  in  his 
integrity,  that  he  might  fully  accomplish  the  end 
of  his  labour  and  skill.  And  Christ  was  perfect 
obedience.  The  Father's  will  was  to  be  done : 
"  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done."  The  nearer 
he  approached  the  completion  of  his  ministry,  at 
each  advancing  step  to  the  dark  and  bloody  hill, 
though  bending  beneath  the  weight  of  the  cross 
and  the  sins  of  the  world,  he  seemed  to  become 
more  patient  and  mild.  He  was  obedient  even 
unto  death.  His  death  was  an  act  of  perfect 
obedience.  We  know  not  what  the  Almighty  had 
in  keeping  for  our  first  parents  before  the  trans- 
gression ;  we  know  not  what  knowledge  was  in 
store  for  them  if  they  had  proved  obedient,  and 
had  not  yielded  to  an  overweening  desire  to  under- 
stand the  secrets  of  heavenly  wisdom ;  but  what- 
ever was  the  design  of  the  Almighty,  it  was  appa- 
rently frustrated  by  the  commission  of  sin.  It 
has  been  suggested  by  many  divines,  that  if  Adam 
and  Eve  had  not  disobeyed  the  law,  none  of  our 
race  could  have  obtained  an  inheritance  in  the 
heavenly  kingdom.  But  as  to  what  were  the 
Divine  plans,  we  are  totally  ignorant;  for  they 
constitute  a  portion  of  those  ineffable  mysteries 
which  centre  in  the  Godhead. 

2k2 


390 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 


Hiram,  the  architect,  possessed  great  skill  and 
genius.  He  was  a  master  builder,  and  after  he 
had  finished  all  his  work,  he  became,  if  possible, 
a  more  exalted  personage.  He  lives  in  the  che- 
rished recollections  of  the  fraternity,  and  his 
virtues  are  perpetuated  in  the  traditionary  annals 
of  our  Order.  Our  Saviour,  after  he  had  performed 
his  labour  of  mercy,  and  had  been  put  to  a  cruel 
death,  was  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
Father.  Jesus  lives  in  the  affectionate  remem- 
brance of  all  his  followers.  David  spoke  propheti- 
cally, when  he  said  :  "  The  Lord  said  unto  my 
Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I  make  thine 
enemies  thy  footstool."  It  was  God  the  Father 
who  said :  "  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I 
make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  To  sit,  then, 
at  the  right  hand  denotes  power,  for  the  Son  of 
God  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne.  Li  ap- 
proaching the  east,  the  south  is  to  the  right  hand. 
The  south  or  midday  denotes  a  bright  state,  a  state 
of  light,  divine  light. — Heav.  Area,  n.  3195.  The 
church  is  described  in  holy  writ  as  being  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  a  Mount.  The  prophet 
Ezekiel  tells  us  that,  "in  the  visions  of  God 
brought  he  me  into  the  land  of  Israel,  and  set  me 
upon  a  very  high  mountain,  by  which  was  .  the 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  391 

frame  of  a  city  on  the  south."  The  mountain 
referred  to  by  the  prophet  was  Moriah. 

We  have  regarded  Hiram,  the  builder,  as  a  type 
of  the  Redeemer.  We  have  been  able  to  draw 
but  a  faint  sketch  of  his  life  and  character.  We 
leave  his  portrait  to  be  drawn  by  some  abler 
artist,  whose  pencil  of  genius  will  display  the 
beauties  of  that  countenance  whose  light  continues 
to  shine  upon  the  craft.  The  name  and  virtues 
of  our  ancient  Master  are  embalmed  in  the  recol- 
lections of  the  fraternity  of  Masons.  "  Though  he 
be  dead,  he  still  lives."  While  we  cherish  the 
memory  of  our  departed  friend,  we  look  forward 
full  of  hope.  A  light  is  shining  upon  the  margin 
of  the  grave.  Whenever  we  "  walk  the  vault"  or 
rehearse  our  burial  service,  we  are  consoled  with 
the  announcement  that  Christ  is  the  resurrection 
and  the  life.  Blessed  are  they  that  die  in  the 
Lord,  for  they  rest  from  their  labours."  Then  let 
us  "lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down,  and 
strengthen  the  feeble  knees."  The  righteous  will 
be  raised  to  a  glorious  immortality. 

The  mystic  rites  and  ceremonies  of  masonry 
prove  how  clearly  and  distinctly  the  types  of  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  prophecies  were  read  and 
understood  by  the  fathers  in  Israel.  The  analogies 
which  have  been  enumerated  would  be  otherwise 


f 


392  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

wholly  unaccountable,  unless  we  believed  that  our 
Order  was  of  modern  origin,  or  was  established 
subsequent  to  the  Christian  era.  But  be  it  an 
ancient  or  a  modern  institution,  it  commends  itself 
to  our  wonder  and  admiration.  It  required  no 
common  abilitj^  to  create  it.  Great  genius  and 
talent  must  have  been  united  in  establishing  it. 
And  when  it  is  viewed  in  the  light  in  which  we 
have  surveyed  it,  it  will  be  found  a  great  help  in 
bringing  us  to  a  knowledge  of  the  holy  writings, 
by  inducing  us  to  search  them  and  find  out  the 
truths  which  are  allegorically  represented  in  our 
lodges. 

There  is  much  force  in  the  testimony  afforded 
by  masonic  traditions  in  the  elucidation  of  scriptu- 
ral truth.  Our  traditions  cannot  be  substituted 
for  the  kx  scripta  or  the  Bible.  But  if  they  tend 
to  confirm  our  belief  in  those  articles  of  faith  com- 
mon to  the  church  universal,  they  ought  not  to  be 
rejected;  but,  on  the  contrary,  should  be  preserved 
and  respected  by  the  sons  of  light.  The  system 
of  masonry  is  so  perfect,  and  its  mode  of  trans- 
mitting facts  orally  so  pure,  that  we  may  safely 
affirm,  tha,t  our  traditions  have  been  handed  down 
to  us  without  any  material  alteration.  They 
cannot  be  constitutionally  altered.  They  are 
guarded  by  the  most  solemn  sanctions;  and  as  a 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  393 

proof  that  they  have  not  been  changed,  they  are 
now  and  ever  have  been  the  same  the  world  over. 
The  remarkable  uniformity  which  exists  in  the 
masonic  work  and  ceremonies  throughout  the 
earthj  shows  that  the  traditions  or  landmarks  of 
the  institution  have  been  preserved  inviolate. 
Then,  if  the  masonic  traditions  confirm  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Bible,  or  throw  any  light  on  matters 
of  scriptural  interpretation,  they  ought  to  be  prized 
very  highly.  There  are  traditions  which  the 
great  body  of  Christians,  from  the  beginning,  have 
held  to  be  articles  of  faith. — 2  Palmer  on  the  Churchy 
p.  48.  We  would  not  dare  to  assert  that  the  Holy 
Bible  does  not  contain  the  whole  of  revealed  truth, 
or  every  doctrine  essential  to  a  perfect  plan  of 
salvation.  Any  tradition,  which  is  at  variance 
with  the  revealed  word,  is  a  false  tradition,  and 
should  be  so  regarded.  But  where  tradition 
corresponds  with  the  Scripture  or  its  true  inter- 
pretation, it  ought  not  to  be  rejected.  Irengeus 
says :  "  The  tongues  of  nations  vary,  but  the 
virtue  of  tradition  is  everywhere  one  and  the 
same."  As  to  forms,  ceremonies,  and  rites,  all  the 
holy  fathers  contend  they  are  justified  by  tradition. 
Every  church  and  every  sect,  from  the  foundation 
of  Christianity,  has  practised  a  number  of  rites  and 
matters  of  discipline  which  are  not  in  the  Scrip- 

50 


394  ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY  TO 

tures. — 2  Palm,  on  Ch.  p.  67.  Every  thing  is 
lawful  which  is  not  forbidden  by  the  law — which 
is  not  contrary  to  the  law,  contends  the  same 
writer;  for  where  no  law  is,  there  is  no  trans- 
gression.* 

And  now,  a  parting  word  to  all  the  brethren. 
Hold  fast  to  our  traditions :  preserve  inviolate  the 
landmarks  which  have  come  down  pure  and  unim- 
paired. The  principles  of  our  institution  are  those 
of  truth.  They  are  the  principles  of  our  sacred 
religion,  and  are  everlasting.  They  existed  when 
the  foundations  of  the  earth  were  laid,  and  formed 
an  arch  more  magnificent  than  the  firmament  with 
all  its  glorious  "inlay  of  stars." 

We  have  endeavoured  to  prove  that  free  ma- 
sonry is  a  most  powerful  agent  of  virtue.  Every 
step  in  masonry — every  mystery  of  the  Order,  like 
"  the  things  hard  to  be  understood  in  Scripture," 
are  witnesses  of  Divine  truth.  From  every  dan- 
gerous path  and  every  rugged  way;  from  every 
solemn  vail  we  penetrate;  and  from  every  mys- 
terious sign  and  word  of  exhortation,  we  derive 
the   most   brilliant  illustrations  of  a  gloriousf 

*  For  the  authority  of  tradition,  and  the  relation  between  religion 
and  tradition,  see  2  Palmer  on  the  Christian  Church,  p.  69. 

f  See  address  delivered  by  the  author  before  Jackson  R.  A.  Chapter 
No.  6. — Proceedings  of  G.  R,  Jl.  Chap,  of  Mississippi,  1847. 


NATURAL  AND  REVEALED  RELIGION.  395 

destiny.  Masonry,  viewed  as  a  moral  science, 
must  command  the  highest  esteem.  It  opens  to 
our  mental  vision  a  sublime  astronomy.  There 
are  stars  and  suns  revolving  about  a  great  centre 
in  the  unseen  depths  of  glory.  Above  that  firma- 
ment are  crystal  waters — some  spiritual  Jordan, 
in  which  the  righteous  may  be  baptized  anew,  on 
their  way  to  the  heavenly  city.  In  that  land  of 
light,  the  soul  will  find  problems  of  moral  science, 
which  it  will  for  ever  delight  to  study,  and  never 
solve.  There  it  may  be  ever  telling  up  the  sum 
of  happiness,  and  never  finding  an  answer.  How 
incomprehensible  is  the  mystery  of  an  eternal  pro- 
gress !  No  plumb-line  can  sound  the  depths  of 
mercy;  and  no  compasses  can  describe  immensity, 
within  whose  infinite  circle  there  is  an  infinite 
triangle,  which  will  continue  for  ever  incompre- 
hensible to  the  student  of  celestial  geometry. 

Our  Order  stands  a  monument  of  ancient  renown 
— a  massive  structure,  supported  by  the  pillars  of 
wisdom,  strength,  and  beauty.  But  if  we  would 
enjoy  any  jeal  satisfaction  in  looking  at  the  splen- 
did edifice,  we  must  "  go  down  to  its  very  founda- 
tion ;"  we  must  cross  the  gulf  of  time,  which  is 
bridged  over,  and  go  ba.ck  to  the  age  in  which  its 
"stones  were  hewn,  and  visit  the  graves  of  the 
very  Masters  whose  hands  fashioned  and  heaved 


396 


ANALOGY  OF  MASONRY. 


them  into  their  places."  Let  us  think  often  upon 
the  mysterious  and  solemn  ties  which  unite  us 
together  as  a  band  of  friends^  and  pledge  anew 
our  vows  of  holy  brotherhood,  and  ever  walk  up- 
rightly before  God  and  man. 

"There  is  much  need ;  for  not  as  yet 

Are  we  in  shelter  or  repose, 

The  holy  house  is  still  beset 

With  leaguer  of  stern  foes ; 

Wild  thoughts  within,  bad  men  without, 

All  evil  spirits  round  about 

Are  banded  in  unblest  device, 

To  spoil  love's  earthly  paradise. 

Then  draw  we  nearer  day  by  day, 
Each  to  his  brethren,  all  to  God ; 
Let  the  world  take  us  as  she  may. 
We  must  not  change  our  road  ; 
Not  wondering,  though  in  grief  to  find 
The  martyr's  foe  still  keep  her  mind ; 
But  fix'd  to  hold  love's  banner  fast. 
And  by  submission  win  at  last." 


THE  END. 


